Rain-soaked street corner steaming manhole Saint-Louis

Dark stone pavers glisten with a thin film of rain under the heavy gray sky of Saint-Louis. A circular iron manhole cover sits at the center of the intersection, radiating white steam that curls upward into the predawn air. The heavy overcast sky casts the scene in deep shadow, broken only by a sharp rim light tracing the curved edge of the cover and the wet brickwork of the shuttered arcade beside it. Iron railings along the arcade stand still and black, reflecting the faint ambient glow. Puddles gather in the low spots of the street, mirroring the dark silhouette of the manhole. A droplet rests on the lower rim of the steam vent.