Sleep story · travel, anonymous
A bus at night — a slow story for the end of the day, when you are too tired to try hard — for waking too early
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
You do not have to get off for another twenty minutes. Your ticket is on the seat beside you, already used. There is a long stretch of road ahead with nothing on it.
The lights inside are the dim blue kind that buses use at night. The city goes past below you, shopfronts and bus stops and people waiting for other buses. You are on the top deck of the last bus, in the front seat, with the whole window to yourself.
Notice the places where your body touches the bed, and let them be heavy. Feel the top of your head relax into the pillow.
Let your shoulder blades spread out and drop. Let your forearms get heavy and warm.
Outside, someone is walking a dog that does not want to be out. A streetlight passes across the ceiling every few seconds.
Notice how much of you has already stopped moving. Let your calves spread out and flatten.
Feel one shoulder go heavy, then the other. Feel your heartbeat somewhere far away.
The bus stops and starts with a slow, heavy movement. The driver takes the corners slowly, as if the bus were full.
Feel your cheeks let go. Let your forehead go cool and smooth.
There are four other people downstairs and nobody up here. The heating comes through the floor and makes your feet warm.
Let everything you were holding today stay on the floor beside the bed. Let your ribs stop working so hard.
If you're replaying a conversation, let it play. It'll finish on its own. If your mind is quiet, don't grab at it. Quiet comes and goes too.
Let the back of your neck lengthen out. Let your tongue sit heavy in your mouth.
Let your attention settle somewhere low, like your feet. Leave it there.
Let the dark be ordinary. You can stop listening properly. Just the dark.
Sleep. Let them. Stay with the weight of your body.
Too tired to try hard is exactly the right amount of tired for this.
Let everything get quiet, including this.
18 paragraphs, roughly 3 minutes read slowly aloud. Written for travel, anonymous.
If this story does not settle you, try A hotel room somewhere, when you are on your own — for jet lag, Sleep story: the house after everyone is asleep, when you want something simple — for jet lag or A bus at night (a sleep story), before something difficult — for an overtired night.