"Wake up! Chihiro, wake up!" I repeat again and again

I squeeze my eyes shut, but the image won't leave. The slurping sounds. The way their clothes strain against their bodies. The snouts...My stomach twists. Mom and Dad... they turned into pigs. They didn't even hear me scream.

"It’s just a dream," I sob, hugging my knees.

I try to push myself up, but my hands feel strange. Cold. Nothing. I look down and gasp. The red light of the lanterns shines through my fingers. I frantically grab at my arms, but my hands pass right through my skin like I am made of mist.

"No..." My voice is thin, fading like the rest of me. "I’m disappearing. Please, don't let me disappear."