I jolted awake, my heart pounding so hard I thought it might burst from my chest. Sweat drenched my pyjamas, plastering them to my skin. The nightmare clung to me like a second skin, its tendrils still wrapped around my mind.

It had started like so many others - darkness all around, impenetrable and suffocating. But this time, a voice had cut through the blackness, harsh and demanding.

"Pick a door," it had commanded.

I'd spun around, disoriented and confused. "What door? There's nothing here!"

The voice grew angrier, its volume increasing until it felt like it was inside my head. "PICK A DOOR!"

Panic rising, I'd simply run forward, arms outstretched. My fingers had brushed against something solid, and I'd grasped a doorknob, twisting it desperately.

Light had flooded in as the door swung open, momentarily blinding me. As my vision cleared, I'd found myself in our living room. Mum, Dad, and Meri were there, along with Nathan. Relief had washed over me.

"Guys! Thank goodness, I-"

But they couldn't hear me. It was as if I wasn't even there. I'd waved my arms, tried to touch them, but nothing worked. And then...

A girl I'd never seen before had walked in. She'd gone straight to Nathan, wrapping her arms around his neck and kissing him deeply. I'd felt like I'd been punched in the gut.

"What the- Nathan! What are you doing?" I'd screamed, but of course, he couldn't hear me either.

Mum had beamed at the couple. "Oh, I'm so happy for you two!"

Dad had clapped Nathan on the shoulder. "Welcome to the family, son. It's about time!"

Meri had hugged the strange girl. "I always wanted a sister!"

I'd stood there, frozen in disbelief. "Guys! I'm right here! What the bloody hell is happening?"

But they'd continued chatting, laughing, completely oblivious to my presence. And then I'd heard it - the words that had torn my heart to shreds.

Mum had sighed contentedly. "I'm just so glad Beth is gone. We can finally be happy now."

Dad had nodded in agreement. "It's like a weight has been lifted."

And Nathan... Nathan had smiled at the girl in his arms. "I can finally have that family I've always wanted."

I'd screamed then, a sound of pure anguish and betrayal. And that's when I'd woken up.

But the nightmare wasn't over.

As consciousness slammed into me, I tried to gasp for air, but something was wrong. My lungs felt like they were on fire, and I couldn't seem to draw a proper breath. I tried to call out for Mum, but all that came out was a strangled wheeze.

And then the coughing started.

It racked my body, violent spasms that felt like they were tearing me apart from the inside. I tasted copper in my mouth, and to my horror, I realised I was coughing up blood. Panic clawed at me as I tried to sit up, my vision blurring.

I needed help. I needed Mum. But I couldn't make a sound loud enough to wake her.

My body heaved, and suddenly I was retching. Blood and bile spattered onto my sheets as I vomited, unable to stop. Tears streamed down my face as I gasped and choked.

In my desperation, I tried to stand, to stumble to the door. But my legs were weak, refusing to support me. I toppled sideways, crashing to the floor with a loud thump.

For a moment, I lay there, dazed and struggling to breathe. But then I heard footsteps pounding down the hallway, and my bedroom door flew open.

"Oh my God! Beth!"

Mum's scream pierced the air, filled with pure terror. Through my blurred vision, I saw her rush to my side, Dad right behind her.

"Beth! Beth, can you hear me?" Mum's hands were on my face, her voice frantic. "John, call an ambulance! Now!"

I tried to speak, to tell her I was okay, but another coughing fit seized me. More blood spattered onto the floor.

I was drifting in and out, barely conscious, when I heard the patter of small feet. Then a tiny voice that made my stomach drop.

"Daddy? Why's everyone shouting?"

Shit. Meri. She shouldn't be seeing this.

"Meri, love, go back to bed," Dad said, trying to sound calm but I could hear the panic underneath.

But Meri didn't budge. I could picture her standing there in her nightie, clutching that ratty old teddies.

"Beth?" Her voice wobbled. "What's wrong with Beth?"

I wanted to tell her it was fine, that she should go back to her room and not worry. But then another coughing fit hit me, and I tasted more blood. Fuck.

"Oh Christ," Mum whispered.

"Meri, please," Dad begged. "Go to your room, sweetheart."

But Meri just stood there. I managed to turn my head a bit, and God, I wish I hadn't. She was frozen in the doorway, tears already streaming down her face, looking scared out of her wits.

"Beth?" she whimpered.

"John, get her out of here," Mum hissed. "She doesn't need to see this."

Dad moved towards Meri, but she darted past him like a little rocket, running straight for me.

"Beth! Beth, wake up!" She reached out her little hand to touch my arm.

"Meri, no!" Mum yelped, yanking her back. "Daddy's called an ambulance. Beth will be alright, but you need to go to your room now."

Meri started bawling then, fighting against Mum. "No! I want to stay with Beth!"

"I know, baby, I know," Mum said, sounding like she was about to cry herself. "But the best thing for Beth right now is for you to be a big girl and wait in your room. Can you do that? For Beth?"

Meri hiccupped, looking at me with big, scared eyes. "Promise Beth'll be okay?"

"I promise we're doing everything we can," Mum said. "Now go on. Daddy will come check on you in a minute."

I wanted to reassure them, to tell them I was okay, but I couldn't find the strength. My body felt disconnected, like it belonged to someone else. The only things that felt real were the pain in my chest and the metallic taste of blood in my mouth.

Time seemed to stretch and warp. I drifted in and out of awareness, catching snippets of conversation around me.

"...temperature's rising..."

"...ambulance should be here by now..."

"...hold on, Beth, please just hold on..."

And then, finally, the sound of sirens.

"Oh, thank God," Mum breathed. "John, go let them in."

I heard the front door open, followed by a flurry of activity. New voices joined the fray, calm and professional.

"What's her name?"

"Beth. She's seventeen. She has pancreatic cancer."

"Beth, can you hear me? I'm Joan, I'm a paramedic. We're here to help you."

I felt hands on me, checking my pulse, shining a light in my eyes. Someone placed an oxygen mask over my face, and suddenly breathing became a little easier.

"Good girl, that's it. Nice deep breaths."

I focused on the voice, using it as an anchor. In and out. In and out.

"We need to get her to hospital right away," I heard Joan say to my parents. "Her oxygen levels are dangerously low."

"I'm going with her," Mum said immediately.

"Of course. Dad, you and sister follow in your car, okay?"

I felt myself being lifted again, this time onto something firm and flat. A stretcher. The movement sent a fresh wave of pain through me, and I couldn't hold back a whimper.

"It's okay, Beth," Mum soothed, her hand finding mine. "I'm right here. We're getting you help."

Still sobbing, Meri let Dad lead her out. I heard him talking to her softly, probably trying to calm her down, but I couldn't make out the words over the sound of sirens.

I felt like shit for scaring Meri like that. She's only seven, for Christ's sake. She shouldn't have to deal with seeing her big sister coughing up blood all over the floor. But what could I do? I was barely keeping it together.

I found myself worrying more about Meri than myself. Weird, that. Here I was, possibly dying on the floor, and all I could think about was whether my little sister was going to be okay. But I guess that's what being a big sister is all about.

You never stop worrying about them, even when you're the one in trouble.

Everything quickly began to go fuzzy. The room was spinning, and there were voices all around, but it was like they were speaking gibberish. I tried to look at Mum, but her face was all blurry.

I wanted to say something. "Mum," I think I said. Or tried to. My tongue felt massive, like it didn't belong in my mouth anymore.

Blood. That's all I could taste. It was horrible. I couldn't even tell if I was still coughing.

Someone might've been calling my name. It sounded far away, though, like they were yelling from the other side of the world.

I wanted to answer, to say "I'm here, stop shouting," but my body had other ideas.

Then my eyes started giving up, as if someone was slowly turning off the lights. I fought it, I swear I did. But it was like trying not to fall asleep in Chemistry, only about a thousand times harder.

Last thing I remember was this bright light. Ambulance, probably. Then... nothing.

Just darkness.

Total darkness.

You know how people say your life flashes before your eyes? Yeah, that's bullshit. There was nothing. No highlight reel, no deep thoughts. Just... nothing.

And then I was out. Lights off. Game over.