The document describes a series of illusions experienced by someone after surviving a helicopter crash in the desert. In the first illusion, the person believes they survived the crash and helped the injured pilot, but wakes up to find everyone dead. In subsequent illusions, the person sees strange things like a bird carrying a spoon and talking mushrooms, and believes they find an oasis with water. The final illusion reveals the person has been admitted to a mental hospital, where a doctor tells them they experienced too many illusions from their ordeal.

1. By Ella, Joseph and PJ.
Illusions
It was Tuesday 22 of July, 1995.
I was so happy we were almost home. I looked out of the helicopter window beside
me, seeing all the smoke and fire underneath the chopper, I new we had won.
As I sat in the helicopter, I realised I had a very sore back and cramp in my legs. All of
a sudden, I heard the pilot yell “Mayday, Mayday, were going down”. The alert button
next to me was flashing red, and knew it wasn’t good sign. The chopper was going out
of control as it shook furiously. It seemed like an anchor was grabbing hold of the
helicopter and jerking it towards the ground.
I woke up. I was only inhaling the smoke from the burning petrol, as I breathed
heavily. I rolled onto my side seeing the wreckage falling apart. Beside me, I spotted
my friend Simmons lying with his head against the sand. As I looked at his face I saw
blood trickling from mouth, and that was when I knew he was dead. His pale white
skin and his lifeless body brought tears to my eyes as I walked away from his limp
corpse.
Everyone around me was dead apart from the pilot who I found moaning with a
broken neck in the remains of the crash. I tried all I could to help him but as the flames
grew bigger, I knew he wouldn’t stand a chance. I felt rotten about leaving him but I
knew I had to get out of here. I ran as fast as I could away from the destroyed chopper,
trying to forget what had just happened. The big explosion behind me made me trip
over and land face first into the sand. I picked myself up and kept running.
The only thing I could see was the sand dunes all around me, Making me feel drowsy.
“Oh man, how am I gonna get out of this one” I said out loud,but then in the distance
something shiny caught my eye.
As it got closer I began to see it more clearly. The greens and yellows were making a
vibrant rainbow, then I began to think. A bird? Whats a bird doing all the way out
here? The bird then dropped something on my head. It must have been the shiny
object that I saw earlier. It was a spoon. My head was throbbing so hard I didn’t
realise how strange it was for a bird to be flying with a spoon in it’s talons.
I was exhausted. The scorching hot sun brought pain to back as though I had just been
shot. Luckily I had my backpack with me, but it carried less than I needed. It
contained two bottles of water both half empty, a compass full of sand and various
bolts just in case the chopper broke down, but I didn’t need them any more so I
dropped them in the sand and kept going.

2. I saw various mirages as I trudged, but as I ran up to them, I found that they were just
fragments of my imagination. The sun was getting to my head, and maybe that’s where
the budgies came from.
“Oh no I’m gonna die out here with no water”, I complained to myself, but as I wiped
the tears of my nose, I saw something else in the distance. This time I was convinced it
was real and not an illusion. As I ran up to it, it was almost like a dream come true. A
big pool of sparkling water filled my vision as I jumped in. I was happy to have the
shade of the oasis trees, but even more cheerful about the water. I filled both my drink
bottles up to the brim, but then felt a sudden dizziness that made me drop to knees. As
i did I spotted these amazing looking mushrooms on a near by tree trunk. I reached
out to grab them and then got an enormous fright. Something yelled “ Hey, Don’t you
put your dirty hands on me”. I realised it was the mushrooms talking. “ What
greatness. Talking mushrooms.”I said as I grabbed them and scoffed them down.
I decided to leave the oasis, and try and find some civilization. As I though I saw a
building in the distance, I started to sprint towards it. While doing it, I tripped hard
and smacked my head on a rock.
As my eyes began to open, all I could see was the blank walls around me. A man in
completely white clothing strolled through the door. He peered down at me and said “
You have been through quite a lot so we are going to keep you here for a while.”
“No!” I objected. “ There were birds and spoons and. and mushrooms...”I muttered.
“ There there. You have been through quite a lot for one life time and I think you will
need to stay here with us at the National Mental hospital.”
Oh know. I think the illusions have taken over.