Sleep story · travel, anonymous
Sleep story: a bus at night, on a low-energy afternoon — 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 are on the top deck of the last bus, in the front seat, with the whole window to yourself. Your ticket is on the seat beside you, already used. A streetlight passes across the ceiling every few seconds.
You do not have to get off for another twenty minutes. The driver takes the corners slowly, as if the bus were full. There is a long stretch of road ahead with nothing on it.
Let the back of your neck lengthen out. Let your ribs stop working so hard.
Let your calves spread out and flatten. Let your shoulder blades spread out and drop.
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.
Feel the top of your head relax into the pillow. Let your forearms get heavy and warm.
Let your breathing get slower without deciding to slow it. Let the mattress take all of it.
There are four other people downstairs and nobody up here. The bus stops and starts with a slow, heavy movement.
If you're thinking about the next thing on your list, that list will still be there. Notice the pull to make this mean something. It doesn't have to.
Feel your heartbeat somewhere far away. Your jaw can drop slightly. Let your teeth part.
Nothing needs deciding tonight. Stay with the weight of your body.
Just the breath. Let them. Just the weight.
Low-energy afternoons are what this was written for.
Let this be the last thing you listen to.
14 paragraphs, roughly 2 minutes read slowly aloud. Written for travel, anonymous.
If this story does not settle you, try A garden in the rain, when you want to finish something — for waking too early, A bus at night, if you are fitting this around other people — for a restless night or A bus at night (a sleep story), when you are waiting for something — for waking too early.