The Golden Dream I Could Never Wake From

On the day I was diagnosed as brain-dead, I laughed.

Because I believed I had been reborn.

In that beautiful, fleeting vision, I didn't go to prison to cover for my sister. Instead, I passed my exams, got into a prestigious university, met a wonderful man, and was about to walk down the aisle into a beautiful marriage.

But just as I reached out to take my groom’s hand, the scene began to dissolve.

The brilliant lights faded into a crushing, suffocating darkness. The music died, replaced by the sterile smell of hospital disinfectant and the rhythmic, hollow beep of medical monitors.