Member-only story
The Girl From Mars II
Revisited as flash fiction
An overnight bus from from Bangkok. A sea sparkling ferry ride and we were there. Welcome to the island of Ko Samui.
We rented a small cabin with a porch, right on the beach, and breathed in the tropical sunshine. And we did the usual tourist thing — hanging out on the beach, catching up on a year’s worth of reading, and sizzling in the sea when the heat turned us to a crisp. Which was much of the day. Evenings were spent in the hammock on the porch, drinking the last of the duty frees, or going into the small town to promenade along the neon strip, lined with bars, restaurants and cafes.
Somewhere around this time we got word that ‘diet pills’ could be bought at the local pharmacies. Police? No problem. No questions, just bhat and a straight cut to fast heaven. Diet pills were a throw back from a time in the west when they were dished out over every drugstore counter in every small-hope town and dirt-poor city. But never mind the diet kick. These were pure amphetamine sulphate. It said so on the capsules. And this was their last hiding place. Couldn’t imagine going home and asking the nice Boots lady for a strip of their finest.
Now, please sit up and listen. Here comes the anti drugs message for all you youngsters. And moralisers. Speed is not a sensible life style choice. No…
