Story:Invisible Cities/Calida

The sky was red in the evening air. Heat came off from the water as elsewhere in the city began to cool off. A welcome heat for the city's homeless, much as they annoyed the rest of the populous. But that heat was something everyone who has lived there for much of their lives took for granted.

Sometimes you'd hear the eldest generations talk about a time when they were young. Back when the water was always cool, and people would drink and swim in it. Other times one could hear children asking why their water was this way.

Often teenagers and young adults would come to the river to party. Booze and narcotics weren't rare; those looking to avoid the ire of the law would hide away in abandoned warehouses with the homeless. Many still would instead avoid such problems altogether and dance along the water's edge inside national parks.

In the cold months it was especially appreciated. The water would stave off the cold and give everyone shelter. During the summer it was almost unnoticeable during the day unless one stood at the water's edge.

But it became a staple of the city. Many would hear about it and not believe their ears. Some would come to see it and not believe their eyes. Others felt it was enough of a fascination to move into the city. This, too, annoyed the populous. But they understood, as there was no other place in the world quite like their flaming river.