[insert witty title here]

Mountain Lightning does not taste a thing like Mountain Dew.

That was the most prominent phrase that pulsed through my mind now, even through all that could be done today and was done yesterday. I suspect that perhaps some record in the deep recesses of my mind started skipping.

Seriously. It doesn’t.

I sighed as I reclined back in my leather chair, staring up at the white ceiling. The drink in question was in my hand, swirling around in a glass as a minor activity to try and keep myself occupied while the caffeine took its toll.

Waking up was difficult, sometimes. That’s why God granted us caffeine.

But why doesn’t the caffeine taste anything like Mountain Dew, if it’s named Mountain Lightning?

“Mmmph…” My mouth groaned as my opposite hand mercifully massaged at my sleepy eyes. There was so much to do today. So much that could be done. Applying for jobs was among them, as well as writing, updating a blog, working on a game project, furthering some articles, and generally being awesome.

The last requirement stood out as something that didn’t fit. Depression must be setting in. I normally take at face value how awesome I am.

You know what would be awesome? If Mountain Lightning actually tasted like Mountain Dew.

“Hey, c’mon. Waking-time.” The words carved through the haze in my mind, striking at a resemblance of coherency. Delivered straight from the mouth of a lady from my computer screen, blazing straight into my mind. I tilted my head over lazily to see one of my original characters leaning out from my computer monitor, one of her eyebrows arched and her mouth upturned in a smirk, arms leaning on the bottom of the monitor like a windowsill.
“Morning, Emi.” I mumbled with words as groggy as my mental state.
“Morning, Nick.” She chuckled as she shook her head at me. “Stayed up too late again?”
“Not so much that.” I groaned as I lifted my chair back up into sitting position, placing the glass of Mountain Lightning (which my mind was still going on about how it didn’t taste like Mountain Dew) next to the monitor as I scootched my char over in front of my computer. “I just shouldn’t have had that drink before bed.”
“Mmmm. Too much caffeine, couldn’t sleep?”
“Pretty much, yeah.”
“Regardless, you’re awake now. Up and at ‘em, sport.” She clapped her hands a few times, grinning as she sunk back into the computer monitor.

I shook my head with a chuckle. Imagination always fuels, even when the body lags.

Mountain Lightning fuels as much as Mountain Dew, but it doesn’t taste like it.