Water covers 75% of planet Earth, and most scientists were unable to discover why. Land mammals had little to no use for water - we generate our own moisture; water has no nutritional value whatsoever, so there was no need to consume it. Most civilizations grew in deserts - like the Egyptians; whereas others grew in fertile lands, like the Chinese and the Aryan civilizations. Food attracted people. Most countries grew around riverbanks because water was essential for plants, but not for us. Water was seen to belong to farmers and agriculturalists; as the world advanced at breakneck speed, people began moving to cities; food was imported, and most people used water to clean themselves, and their cars.
The first time someone actually drank water, he was quickly ostracized by his community. Not because the very act was forbidden, but because he became so addicted, there was nothing else on his mind. The first documented case of hydrophilia (addiction to water) was in 800 BC - a farmer had given up his crops, his family, and his home to sit and drink the water of the Nile. No one knew why - water gave humans nothing, our body had no need for it, it provided no sustenance; but by God, water was one of the most addictive drinks on the planet.
That Egyptian man was quickly jailed; signs were put up, banning the drinking of water. Most people accepted this; after all, water was meant for plants.
A few people began to continue drinking water in secret; records and diaries show of pockets of individuals drinking water, reveling in the taste, creating a cult religion around it. Most larger religions banned the drinking of water, like they banned most other intoxicating substances; water was too dangerous.
18 times as addictive as sugar (which was classified as the second-most addictive thing on the planet), water sources quickly became controlled. Rivers were dammed up, and most reservoirs have agents patrolling the borders. There have been too many reports of individuals jumping into the dam, drinking as much water as he can, before he’s yanked out and imprisoned (or shot, depending on which country he currently resides in).
Rains began to become coveted. Most countries with torrents of rain had higher numbers of hydrophiliacs - children, in a desperate attempt, would go out and stick their tongues out to collect precious rainwater; soon, they knew nothing else. Rain began to be seen as dangerous, and children were no longer allowed to frolic in the rain. Most homes stayed shut during the rainy season; hydrophilia is seen as a dangerous addiction; one drop could get you hooked.
India, being a country of torrential downpour, suffered greatly. Throughout history, its people were chronic hydrophiliacs; the country was unable to progress, when most of its population were unable to do anything but drink water. Masses began to die of malnutrition - after all, when all you drink is water, how long can your body survive?
Great Britain, too, contained a large population of addicts - with near-constant rains, people had taken to sleeping on the street, so they can simply open their mouths to collect every drop.
A small ship of free-thinking, radical individuals escaped this hell-hole, and went on to occupy the Americas. Today, Great Britain and North America is controlled by Canada, whereas northern African countries controls the Eastern hemisphere.
The Egyptian Raj continue to control the Indian population - the country survives because the English control every single water source with an iron fist, allowing the country to finally try and crawl out of its addiction.
The southern half of Africa is controlled by the Middle Easterns - particularly Saudi Arabia, with a stronghold on all water sources. Most of the continent has been shattered due to civil war over small rivers and lakes; animals slaughtered in order for man to control the watering hole; plants dried up to satisfy our (unnecessary) thirst. Greed has desertified half the continent.
Now, every drop of water is accounted for. Every source of drinking water is protected.
Too many individuals have sacrificed their lives for a drop of water; psychiatrists and biologists alike are unable to properly explain humankind’s addiction to water, but can only warn against it.
In a few pockets, where it still rained, people lived freely, pathetically; their lives revolved around the water cycle. Gods of water were worshipped, so that the rains can come sooner.
In the modern world, water is strictly controlled.
One sip, and there’s no going back.
They say the addiction eventually drives you crazy.
Her shift had just ended, it was a long weekend, and she was excited about her trip to a little cabin in the woods; it had been a while since she had last had a holiday. She stepped out of her building - it had just rained, and there were small puddles across the pavement. As she crossed the street, she slipped, and fell face-first into a puddle. Spitting rain-water out, her eyes go wide; she shoves her face back into the semi-deep puddle. By the time they get to her, she’s drowned; a contented smile on her face.
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