The coach warned of the impending doom borne from our shared weakness,
Looked us all in our eyes and into our souls:

“Soda will break you down
Strip you of energy mercilessly
And tempt you to drink its venom once more
to remain in its ugly trance.”

“You must resist.
Pour water into your stomach at twice the rate.
If you want it, then you’ve waited too long to have it.
If you don’t want it, keep drinking it.
Or you will become a shriveled petal
And die behind blooming flowers.”

I take my first sip.
Throw away the rest of the poison stored in my cupboards.
And welcome myself into a watery hell.