Each of the seven stepped off the bus and waited to be ushered to the other side of the road. It was pretty much pitch black with only a few street lamps further down the road to light the way. The rest of the bus load followed so there was about twenty people waiting at the small pier. Three empty longtail boats bobbed about in the water below, creaking as they moved with the waves. One of the thai men gestered for everyone to start getting on. Everyone assumed that they would be dispersed over the 3 bobbing boats. They were wrong. The thai men just kept loading everyone on to the same boat. The seven travel pals felt the boat sinking further in to the water and let out a quiet shriek everytime someone else got on the boat and made it rock from side to side. Side to side. Eventually, all 20 people were crammed on to the boat. They wanted to get off but it was all too late. With all the backpacks squashed at the front, the motor had started and they were off. All the passengers were speechless and tensions ran high. Anya held on to the side of the boat and stared at the only life jacket on board.
"Anyone got any good jokes?" she muttered.
"Yeh did you hear the one about the boat capsizing..." replied Stephen. A few nervous laughs.
As the boat moved slowly further towards the middle of the pitch black sea everything became even darker. The full moon was the only comfort as it shone brightly down on the lonely boat. No one seemed to move a muscle in case it caused any rocking movement. Finally after about 15 minutes the group were able to make out some shapes of islands. Hollie and Anya laughed at a rather falic looking one, which seemed to ease up the tension a little. As the boat neared the beach ahead, a few of them laughed about having to swim with backpacks...
... it was not entirely a joke though, as before the boat reached the beach everyone was told to jump off and wade their way to dry land. Anya chucked the bat and ball over to Sam once he was off the boat. At least that didn't get wet.
So there they were, relieved to be at Railay. They got to their hotel (another walk through dark unlit places), checked in and then went for a bite to eat.
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