I found myself in the midst of a nightmare when the school bus I was on collided with several vehicles after passing through a mysterious colour vortex. As the bus emerged from this otherworldly portal, it was clear we were headed for disaster. My heart pounded in my chest as I braced for impact.

The collision was brutal. I was thrown from my seat, feeling like a rag doll as I tumbled through the air. A sharp pain shot through my ankle—it had twisted and snapped, the bone breaking through the skin. The agony was compounded by the sickening sensation of my shoulder dislocating with a nauseating pop.

As the bus toppled and slid across a barren landscape, I was pinned beneath a mass of twisted metal and debris. The chaos was overwhelming, with screams filling the air and smoke and dust choking my lungs. Despite the excruciating pain, my thoughts immediately turned to the safety of my students and colleagues.

With immense effort, I managed to free myself, my injured leg and shoulder screaming in protest. I spotted a roof hatch near the front of the bus and dragged myself toward it. It was jammed, but I couldn't give up. Knowing others were still trapped, I pushed through the pain.

After several agonising minutes, I forced the hatch open and hauled myself out, the harsh sunlight of this new world searing my eyes and the dry air rasping in my throat. Despite my injuries, I immediately began helping others. I limped around the bus, my damaged ankle sending bolts of agony with every step, and started guiding my fellow survivors out.

I prioritised the students, carefully helping them through the shattered windows and twisted metal. Their terrified faces and tear-streaked cheeks broke my heart. As more survivors emerged, my injuries became more apparent. My ankle was a mangled mess of bone and flesh, and my dislocated shoulder hung uselessly at my side. The pain was nearly unbearable, but I pushed through, focused on their safety.

When the medical team arrived, their faces were grim as they assessed my injuries. Ideally, I would have been rushed to a hospital for emergency surgery, but in this strange world, with limited resources, such treatments were impossible. The team did their best to stabilise me, cleaning and dressing my open fracture and immobilising my shoulder. They administered pain medication, but without proper surgical intervention, my recovery looked uncertain.

As the shock wore off and the adrenaline faded, the full weight of my situation hit me. Stranded in a strange world, my body broken, my future uncertain, I could only hope for the best while focusing on the here and now.