Sleep story · travel, cozy
The night train — a slow story for the end of the day, when the day has been loud — for a restless night
Somewhere between two cities, in the dark, where nobody needs anything from you.
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 window is cool against the side of your face. Your bag is wedged under the seat in front, out of the way of your feet. The train left a quarter of an hour ago, and the carriage has already settled into its own quiet.
A station passes without stopping — a platform, a lamp, three empty benches, then dark again. Outside, the fields go past without anything in them you need to see. There is one other person in this carriage, four rows up, asleep with a coat over their knees.
Let your hands be completely still. Feel your heels sink a little into the mattress.
Let your upper arms fall wherever gravity puts them. Let your forearms get heavy and warm.
The lights along the aisle are dimmed to the colour of weak tea. Every so often the wheels change their note as they cross a join in the rail.
Your elbows can stop being hinges for now. Let your thighs be as heavy as they want to be.
Your fingers can stop doing anything at all. Feel your cheeks let go.
The heating is on low, and the air smells faintly of clean metal and old upholstery. Somewhere ahead of you, a door opens and closes with a soft, deliberate sound.
If you're irritated, that's allowed. Irritation is just weather. Notice if you're being hard on yourself about any of this.
Feel your wrists loosen. Feel your belly rise and fall without any help from you.
Let it all get further away. They will find their own way out.
Let the thoughts come and go without you getting up to answer. Let each breath be a little smaller than the last. Leave it there.
For days that were loud from the moment they started.
I will stop here. The quiet will carry on without the words.
14 paragraphs, roughly 2 minutes read slowly aloud. Written for travel, cozy.
If this story does not settle you, try The house after everyone is asleep — a slow story for the end of the day, after eating too much — for a restless night, A hotel room somewhere — a slow story for the end of the day, when you have just finished work — for an overtired night or A field under snow — a slow story for the end of the day, on a day that started badly — for the hours after a late shift.