I slowly open my eyes before shutting them immediately. So bright. Sitting up, I rub my eyes and let them adjust to the blinding white light. Looking. around, I take in my surroundings. I’m sitting on the dirty floor, dressed in what appears to be a hospital gown. How. Utterly. Disgusting. My attention was diverted from my situation as I hear choked sobs, which I recognize to be my mother’s. What happened? She’s sitting in a black chair on the other side of the room. Next to her my father stands with a grim expression.

    “Mom? Dad?” My throat is dry and my mouth is parched. Neither of them look up. I clear my throat and try again. No response. I shakily stand up and make my way over to my parents.

“Mom, what’s wrong? Why are you crying?” I ask, louder this time. I reach my hand towards her shoulder but to my surprise, I don’t make contact. I stare at my hand, confused. I try again, and this time, it’s clear that I didn’t miss. I hear a small scream escape my lips.

Frantically, I try to grasp my mother’s hand, each time mine passing through hers. My stomach sinks as I look down at my hand, searching for an explanation.

    I hear the creak of a door, and I whip my head towards the sound; a woman dressed in nurse’s garb walks through.

She clears awkwardly, “Mrs. and Mr. Lee, Doctor Park needs to see you. If you could please follow me.”

She holds the door open expectantly, and my parents shuffle out.

The nurse lingers at the doorway before solemnly saying “It’s up to you now. We’ve done all we can.”

She looks not at me but at the bed. I follow her gaze and see a body lying there. My body. Before I even have time to process the sight, the nurse walks out, leaving me alone. I grab the door handle, but, big surprise, my hand passes through that, too. Trembling, I close my eyes and take a giant step. When my body doesn’t slam against the door, I crack my eyes open slightly to find that I’m on the other side. I clench my head in my hands and my heart beats faster. What is going on? I race through the bland corridors of the hospital before reaching a glass door leading outside. Wincing, I step through it. I let a out gasp of relief as my parents come into view.

    “Mom! Is this some kind of jo-” I begin but soon cut myself off. She pays no attention to me. I turn towards the man they speak with, a doctor by the looks of it. His words are heavily accented,

“... Sungyeol … won’t wake up…. We tried… fines and paperwork…” I back away slowly, my head spinning. Breathing suddenly becomes a chore. No, no, no, no. I stared at the doctor, tears welling.

“Can you hear me?” I ask. Nothing.

I stumble over to a bench and collapse onto it only to fall straight through it. Turning to the woman on the right, I ask, my voice cracking, “Can you see me?” Nothing. I curl into a ball, bringing my knees up and placing my head in my hands.

“Am I alive?”