Dawn Reflection of Water Tower in Douala Alley

Deep shadow engulfs the narrow concrete channel of a Douala back alley beneath the elevated train tracks. A shallow puddle of stagnant water mirrors the dark, skeletal silhouette of a distant water tower against the pale pre-dawn sky. Heat shimmer distorts the air just above the wet asphalt, causing the reflection to waver and stretch like liquid glass. Faint rim light outlines the rusted steel beams of the overhead railway, separating the heavy darkness from the rising morning. Rough, cracked pavement edges frame the standing water, where the inverted tower stands motionless until the heat intensifies. one drop of oil on the water's surface breaks the perfect mirror with a colorful, iridescent ripple.