A warm welcome to part one of this Sleep Story trilogy,
Set in an enchanted world of wizards and magic.
Where you are the main character.
In part one,
You will take an adventure aboard a midnight bus which will guide you on an enchanted journey through your hometown.
Gradually working its way towards London,
Where even more magic awaits.
Before we begin,
We will do a short relaxation session,
Preparing you for a good night's sleep.
Please remember that there is no right or wrong here and there is no particular way that you should feel in these moments Each experience is as unique as us all,
So try to let go of any pressure you might be putting on yourself to feel certain things,
Or perhaps to fall asleep quickly tonight.
It doesn't matter if you do or you don't.
If you simply follow my voice and allow this story to wash over you,
Then you will enter a world of deep relaxation where you can rest and recover.
So,
When you are ready,
Just feel the eyelids becoming heavier and heavier with each passing blink,
Until they gently close.
Remind yourself that this is your time to relax.
There is nothing left to do and nothing left to think about.
The day is done now.
Whatever has happened is already in the past,
And here,
In this moment,
The future is beyond our reach.
So,
If thoughts arise about the day or the week that has been,
Or the days ahead of you,
Then acknowledge that these thoughts are completely normal and valid.
They are part of what makes us human,
Which is a wonderful thing.
But also,
Kindly remind yourself that these thoughts or concerns are of no use to us now.
There is no need to engage with them.
They are simply thoughts,
As fleeting as shooting stars across a night sky.
You are safe tonight and you are protected.
You can be reassured by the fact that my voice and this story will never take you anywhere that is unpleasant.
Your sleepy cat is simply here to guide you on your own twilight adventures and to help you enter a world of magic and peace where you can be completely free.
And now,
We will do a short,
Guided breathing pattern called 3-4-5.
This will allow you to slow down and relax,
Preparing your body and your mind for a wonderful,
Peaceful rest.
When you are ready,
Breathe in through the nose for three.
Hold for 4 seconds.
And breathe out for five.
Let all of it go now.
Again,
That's in for three.
Hold for 4.
And release,
Blowing away the thoughts of yesterday,
Today,
And tomorrow.
Again in for three.
Whole.
And let it go.
Continue to breathe in this way in your own time and with each breath out allow your body to sink just that bit deeper.
Allow the breath to fall back into a natural rhythm.
Enjoy this new relaxation and peace flowing through your body.
Allow your mind to soften.
And let your imagination come alive.
As you travel aboard the magical midnight bus.
It is a cool autumn evening and you are strolling through the quiet streets of your hometown,
Rolling a small hard shell suitcase with one hand and carrying your magic wand in the other.
The setting sun casts a golden-red glow across the sky,
And the air is mild tonight.
Although the fast approaching clouds to your right suggests that rain might not be too far away.
From your pocket,
You remove a slightly crumpled letter.
The most recent of many correspondences with your best friend.
You unfold the parchment and re-read the last letter from today.
Taking note of the important details.
Meet me at the old enchanted tavern at midnight.
Our favorite spot in London.
There's a bus that will take you straight there.
But it can only be summoned from the park at the end of your village.
Spin the merry-go-round three times to the left and once to the right That should do the trick.
I have some exciting plans for when you get here,
And i am currently sitting with an old friend of yours who can't wait for you to arrive You fold the letter with a smile,
Beaming at the prospect of more adventures with your best friend.
And curious who else might be waiting for you in the tavern.
As you walk by the houses at the end of the road,
You spot a fluffy grey cat perched like a bread loaf in one of the windows,
Their nose almost touching the glass.
Her judgmental stare follows you along the path.
And for a moment you ask yourself what you might have done to annoy this little feline.
When suddenly she winks at you.
Not once,
But three times with her left eye and once with her right.
As if informing you that she knows exactly where you are going tonight.
Reminding you of the combination that you need.
And that she in fact approves of your late night frolicking.
You smile at the cat,
And she stretches her front paw on the window,
Bidding you goodnight.
Before jumping down behind the curtain.
No doubt off to get cozy by a fire or perched on her human's lap.
You walk now in a slow and steady rhythm,
Just listening to the sounds of your footsteps and pondering on your adventure ahead.
Finally,
As you reach the end of your village,
You arrive at the park.
You are also met by one or two spots of rain,
Tapping very occasionally on your hands and your face.
With a little more urgency now,
You move over to the merry-go-round and repeat the instructions as you turn it.
Three times to the left and once to the right.
There is a rumbling and a clicking coming from underground with each turn.
And then.
.
.
Silence.
You wait.
And you wait.
And you wait.
The rain isn't stopping,
And in fact it seems to be picking up slightly.
You take your wand from your pocket and cast a quiet spell.
Instantly,
A grey wisp trickles from your wand and forms an ethereal umbrella,
Protecting you from the light drizzle.
In the stillness,
You wonder now if you have turned the merry-go-round correctly,
Or at the right speed.
You double check your letter.
Three times to the left,
Once to the right.
You didn't make a mistake.
All of a sudden,
You hear a great washing sound in the distance.
And a pair of large orange headlights shine at the end of the road,
As if appearing through an invisible curtain in the air.
And then you see it.
Pulling up to you slowly is a huge four-decker bus,
Shimmering in a blend of deep purple and midnight blue.
The windows pulse with a soft lamplight.
The bus comes to a stop with a great gust of steam that mingles under the wheels,
Giving the impression that this majestic vehicle is floating above the ground.
It is unlike anything that you have ever seen.
The rear door slides open and you are met by a jolly looking gentleman with a thin little mustache and a slightly tatty blue uniform.
Sorry about that,
Friend.
Got a little bit waylaid in Aberdeen.
Hope you didn't get too wet,
He says with a smirk.
Well,
What are you waiting for?
You turned the wheel,
Didn't you?
On you get!
In the next moment,
Your suitcase lifts up by itself and slides onto the back of the bus,
Taking shelter from the rain.
It turns back to you and scratches its wheel on the floor,
As if urging you to get on board.
Before you can even check that this is the right bus,
The conductor calls out.
Yes,
I know.
You're headed for the tavern in London.
Come on,
We don't have all night.
With a sigh of relief,
You nod and smile at the conductor.
And without another hesitation,
You step up onto the back of the bus.
Your umbrella dissolves back into your wand and the doors close tight behind you.
Instantly,
You are greeted by a perfect warmth swirling all about you.
And you stare in complete awe around the bus,
For the inside has expanded almost five times bigger than the outside.
It is like a small house on wheels.
The bus gives a very gentle jerk,
Signaling that you are at last on the way,
And you give yourself a moment to just take in all of your new surroundings.
You cannot believe that there is a mini fire crackling in one corner.
With all the smoke flowing up a jagged chimney that leads straight out of the bus.
There are private compartments,
Each with their own small bed.
A sink and a chest of drawers.
Over near the front is a communal seating area with plush blue cushions and soft candles floating in the air.
You spot a small fold-out table to your right,
Where a sleepy old lady sways with her eyes half-closed,
Constantly stirring a big cauldron of fresh hot chocolate.
As the bus gently rocks from left to right,
The chocolate stays completely still.
And the delicious smell lingers through the carriage.
For now,
You decide to take a seat at the front of the bus and just enjoy the view from your window The last beams of sunset are shining underneath the rain clouds,
Turning the droplets on your window into specks of colorful light that are peppered across the glass.
The cushion under you is incredibly soft.
And with each passing second you feel yourself sinking just that little bit.
Bit deeper.
You allow yourself to let go of any holding on and to surrender completely to the softness,
The heaviness and the total comfort.
As you gaze out of the window,
It looks as though you are driving quickly,
For a lot of the buildings and the lights in their windows are blurry.
But it feels in your body like you are driving in slow motion,
Gradually weaving through the streets and squeezing through seemingly impossible gaps.
You spot a few people wandering outside,
Umbrellas in the air moving quickly in the rain,
And not a single one of them notices the midnight bus.
The bus feels quite empty tonight,
And the silence is incredibly soothing.
You can hear a few distant snores coming from a couple of the rooms,
But otherwise there is a lovely peace in the air.
The crackle of the fire,
Coupled with the bitter patter of the rain,
Is so comforting to you.
In the next moment,
The conductor approaches you once more and holds out a single golden key.
This is for your room,
Second floor,
Third door on the left.
Your case is already inside.
You can,
Of course,
Stay down here as long as you like,
But I do suggest getting some rest.
We've still got a little ways to go.
But never fear,
We'll get you there before midnight.
You take the key with thanks,
And after a short bow,
The conductor turns away,
Busying himself with duties around the bus,
Leaving you to enjoy some quiet time.
There is a gentle rocking sensation created by the bus back and forth.
Back and forth,
And this motion is incredibly soothing.
There are no sharp turns,
No bumps,
No stops and starts.
This journey is smooth and comfortable.
In the next moment,
You meet the sleepy eyes of the old lady at the table,
And she beckons you over with a sloth-like smile.
You wander to the table and she takes your hand in hers.
Welcome my dear would you like a little sample of my homemade hot chocolate?
I drink it all day,
Every day,
And it keeps me very relaxed and very sleepy.
With a little chuckle and an undeniable temptation to experience these feelings,
You accept the offer.
The old lady dips her ladle into the chocolate and pours it into a clay tankard.
You marvel at how she can do this with her eyes 90% closed.
And yet,
You have definitely seen stranger things in this magical world.
You hold the tankard in your hands,
Allowing its warmth to just pulse very slowly through your palms.
Your arms and into your chest.
You take a slow,
Deep breath,
Feeling a new relaxation instantly washing over you And then,
You thank the old lady and try to meet her gaze once more,
But it is too late.
You are greeted by a quiet snore and see that her head has flopped to her shoulder.
The old lady sways from side to side,
Almost at 45 degrees,
But somehow she stays standing and her face looks incredibly peaceful.
Don't worry,
The conductor whispers,
This happens a lot She casts a permanent charm on herself so she can sleep standing up whenever she needs to.
We have tried to offer her a room,
You know.
But nope,
She's happy right where she is.
You smile again at the old lady,
Thinking in fact that she might have her priorities absolutely spot on.
Sleep and hot chocolate,
The perfect combination.
You shuffle back over to your seat and start to sip your enchanted hot chocolate.
You feel the warm liquid touch your lips and dance across your tongue.
The chocolatey goodness is too perfect.
Instantly,
You feel all of your muscles filling with a gentle heat.
And completely relaxing.
Your body is signaling to you now that it is time to relax.
It is time to release.
It is time to surrender.
The bitter patter of the rain still hammers on the window,
But the sun has disappeared now and has been replaced by a rising silver moon.
The light reflects on the raindrops once more.
Only this time it is not a collection of color that you see.
No.
It is an entire kingdom of starlight.
Shimmering right next to you.
The starlight is so hypnotic to watch that it almost feels as though you are being enveloped by it,
Cradled by this enchanting sea of stars.
A wonderful symphony greets you now,
Accompanying this new starlight.
And this soft,
Soothing melody is a gentle reminder that you are safe here.
And that everything will be okay.
Through the silver raindrops,
You pass by a few more buildings in slow motion,
And you are trying to take in all of their details.
The conductor calls out for the bus to slow down even more,
For there is something he wants to show you.
You pass by a quaint little bakery with red and green striped awnings coming out over the pavement.
And a gold neon sign that draws a picture of a steaming hot pie every few seconds.
In the bay windows,
For all the passers-by to see,
You watch fresh pastry being made.
But of course,
This isn't just any old bakery.
Two bags of flour pour themselves into bowls.
Numerous eggs crack themselves into the mixtures,
While wooden spoons mix everything together.
In one window,
You see blueberries and raspberries being added.
And chunks of apple with cinnamon powder in the other.
Then the mixtures pour themselves into two ceramic pie dishes and they both lift up into the air,
Right into the middle of the windows.
Very slowly,
The tops of the pies turn a perfect golden color,
And a light steam starts to rise from the little air pockets.
You can almost smell them from here.
Blueberry and raspberry.
Apple and cinnamon.
It is truly sensational.
You turn to the conductor who tells you that the original bakery of these is in New York.
They are the best pastries in the world.
I'll tell you no lies,
" he adds with a chuckle.
And now you really start to feel this hot chocolate working its magic.
As you finish your final mouthful and place down your tankard,
Your eyes feel as sleepy as the old lady's,
And your body is incredibly heavy.
After a long and tiring day,
You cannot argue that this is one of the best sensations in the world.
You decide that it might be a good idea to take a nap,
Just so you are nice and fresh to meet your friends.
And,
As if hearing your thoughts,
The conductor gives a snap of his fingers.
Instantly,
You feel all the weight leave your body and you lift very gently out of your seat.
You give permission to trust this magic and you give permission to simply surrender And now you are floating.
You are drifting so effortlessly.
The magic spell that supports you now is guiding you gently up the stairs.
You do not need to move.
You do not need to think at all.
Everything is taken care of here.
Before you know it you land very slowly on your feet outside your compartment You pop in the golden key and slide open the door.
You are greeted by the subtle smell of lavender and a perfect warmth wraps around you.
Without another hesitation,
You flop down on your new bed,
Allowing the fresh,
Cool sheets to just wrap around you.
You can really feel the slow,
Gentle rocking of the bus now,
And this comforting sensation soothes your mind,
Casting away all worries,
All tension and all stress.
Your body is softening completely.
Your thoughts are dissolving and you are edging just that bit closer to sleep.
Outside your window,
The rain still taps away,
And the moon still shines down.
It will watch over you tonight.
It will protect your sleep and it will ensure that all of your dreams are safe,
Pure and beautiful.
You allow the memories of this wonderful evening to gently pass through your mind as you reminisce on your adventure tonight.
And eventually,
You are filled with the images of what is still to come.
Traveling to your favorite tavern,
Meeting up with your best friend,
Being reunited with an old friend.
And dreaming of what surprises await you in just a few short hours.
You allow yourself to sink deeper and deeper.
You are trusting in the magic.
You are surrendering to it.
You are safe here and you are surrounded by peace.
It is time for you to rest.
It is time for you to rest.
It is time for you to rest.
