I fall to the sand, too tired and thirsty to carry on. The scorching sun mercilessly beats down on my red, seared back. I scan the horizons of the vast, barren desert, spotting nothing but the rolling hills of dry sand. As I lay on the ground, I hear the noisy droning of desert insects, and the screeching of a buzzard, circling overhead.

“It's over...I give up.” I say to myself in a dry, raspy voice. At that moment, I notice something glimmering in the sunlight, just ten feet away. I gather my strength together, and make my way towards the shining, object. I realize to my excitement that the item is a canteen. I quickly pick it it up, feeling the weight of liquid inside. My heart fills with hope, as I quickly unscrew the lid. As I take off the cap, I spot a label on the side of the flask reading “Warning: Contains Toxic Chemicals DO NOT DRINK.”

“Toxic chemicals?” I ask myself suspiciously. I unscrew the lid off, and bring the opening of the container to my nose. “This is most likely just water.” I say to myself as I bring the canteen to my lips. I stop and reconsider. “What if it is poison?” I ask myself nervously. After a long moment of pondering my situation, I decide that a little bit of the liquid couldn't hurt me...could it? I take a small sip from the flask, and swallow.

“This tastes like water to me.” I think. I quickly drink down the rest of the liquid, not wasting a drop. Immediately, a sharp pain strikes my stomach. I fall to the ground, clutching my gut. Waves of nausea wash over me. I hear a loud rumble across the desert sky. My vision begins to fade to black, as I wallow in pain in the sand. As I feel my life slip away, the last thing I feel is cold raindrop hitting my sunburned back.

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