Sleep story · travel, anonymous
A bus at night (a sleep story), after a difficult conversation — for winding down
Upper deck, front seat, a city going past that you do not have to join.
Lights off. Press begin and let the story read itself to you, at the pace of sleep.
Screen on or off — we suggest dimming it, or simply closing your eyes after the first paragraph.
The story, in full
Your ticket is on the seat beside you, already used. You are on the top deck of the last bus, in the front seat, with the whole window to yourself. The city goes past below you, shopfronts and bus stops and people waiting for other buses.
Outside, someone is walking a dog that does not want to be out. There is a long stretch of road ahead with nothing on it. The bus stops and starts with a slow, heavy movement.
Let your forearms get heavy and warm. Let your shoulder blades spread out and drop.
Let your calves spread out and flatten. Feel your belly rise and fall without any help from you.
There are four other people downstairs and nobody up here. The heating comes through the floor and makes your feet warm.
Let the back of your neck lengthen out. Let your hands be completely still.
Let the space between your eyebrows smooth out. Let your upper arms fall wherever gravity puts them.
The driver takes the corners slowly, as if the bus were full. A streetlight passes across the ceiling every few seconds.
If you're judging your performance, that's the same habit as judging everything else. If you're counting the minutes, that's fine. Count them and come back.
Feel the top of your head relax into the pillow. Feel the weight of your head on the pillow.
Let the next part go past without you. Leave it there.
Just the breath. Let it all get further away. Nothing needs deciding tonight.
Difficult conversations leave a residue. This is for the residue.
Let everything get quiet, including this.
14 paragraphs, roughly 2 minutes read slowly aloud. Written for travel, anonymous.
If this story does not settle you, try A fire dying down — a slow story for the end of the day, when you are cold and want to be warm — for the hours after a late shift, Sleep story: a bus at night, on a day that started badly — for winding down or A bus at night (a sleep story), after a difficult conversation — for jet lag.