Sleep story · travel, anonymous
A hotel room somewhere — a slow story for the end of the day, after a difficult conversation — for an overtired night
A room you did not choose, in a city you do not have to know.
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
The bathroom light is off, and the fan has finally stopped. A tram goes past below, and you hear it before you see it. Nobody in this city knows where you are, and that is restful.
There is a small card on the desk with the breakfast times on it, which do not matter tonight. The curtains are heavy and close properly, which is rarer than it should be. The pillow is slightly too soft, and you fold it in half, which fixes it.
Let the space between your eyebrows smooth out. Let your tongue sit heavy in your mouth.
Let your breathing get slower without deciding to slow it. Let your palms open if they were closed.
The air conditioning makes a low sound that you will stop noticing within a minute. The carpet is the colour of weak coffee and absorbs every sound.
Let your thumbs rest where they landed. Let everything you were holding today stay on the floor beside the bed.
Notice if your attention is in the future. Bring it back to the room. Notice anything you're holding onto from earlier today.
Your jaw can drop slightly. Let your teeth part. Notice how much of you has already stopped moving.
Softer. Let it all get further away.
Just the breath. Stay. Let the room get slightly further away.
Difficult conversations leave a residue. This is for the residue.
There is nothing more to follow. Let the rest happen on its own.
12 paragraphs, roughly 2 minutes read slowly aloud. Written for travel, anonymous.