Oxidised

Most people feel as if they are a aldehyde sample. Ethanal, maybe. They feel as if life puts them to the test so often, something like a chemistry student mixing the ethanal sample with acidified potassium dichromate (VI) solution. When life turns on the heat and pressure, it's as if the student dropped the same mixture into the water bath. You then proceed to slowly watch as the orange coloured solution turn green. You watch as you get oxidised. Yes, you are the sample of ethanal.

I feel like a sample of halogenoalkane. Perhaps bromobutane. Instead of the simple orange solution (potassium dichromate), the chemistry student decided to mix in potassium manganate (VII) into the test tube. Yes, that pretty purple solution. The stronger oxidising agent. As if being oxidised isn't bad enough. Just as the pretty purple solution decolourises, I feel as if I fade away. Oxidised into nothing.