Sleep story · sea, simple
A caravan by the sea (a sleep story), when you want to finish something — for a night when you do not want to think
Thin walls, wind outside, and the sound of shingle about fifty metres away.
Reading it yourself. Back to the audio version.
There is a torch by the door in case you need to walk to the toilets in the night. There is a gas ring, a kettle, and two cups, one of which is a different pattern. You can hear the shingle moving as the waves pull back.
The wind pushes against the side of the caravan in long, slow gusts. The caravan rocks very slightly in the wind, which is more comforting than it sounds. The whole caravan smells of salt, gas and clean bedding.
Let the pillow take the whole weight of your head. Feel your heels sink a little into the mattress.
Let your thumbs rest where they landed. Notice your hips, wide and settled.
The curtains are thin, and the moon makes a pale rectangle on the floor. The sea is about fifty metres away, over a bank of shingle.
Let the mattress take all of it. Feel the back of your knees soften into the bed.
If you're replaying a conversation, let it play. It'll finish on its own. If a worry shows up, name it quietly and let it sit beside you.
Let your forearms get heavy and warm. Feel your wrists loosen.
Sleep. Nothing needs deciding tonight.
You do not have to count them. Nothing here needs following closely. Let the room get slightly further away.
Wanting to finish something is a better motivation than wanting to relax.
No more sentences. Just the weight of you in the bed.