Time Weaver's Pocket Watch: An Enchanted Sleep Story

Magically slow down time when you cross paths with a friendly black cat, who guides you to an enchanted pocket watch. The talisman allows you to immerse yourself in life’s simple pleasures for as long as you wish, before drifting off into a deep, carefree slumber.

Music: Our Peaceful Ocean by Narek Mirzaei
Image by anncapictures on Pixabay

Transcript

Magically slow down time when you cross paths with a friendly black cat who guides you to an enchanted pocket watch.

The talisman allows you to immerse yourself in life's simple pleasures for as long as you wish before drifting off into deep carefree slumber.

The Haven Shop is a fantasy bedtime story series that will reconnect you with your inner magic as you dwell in the sacred space between waking and sleep.

In each episode,

You will return to this enchanted healing space run by two friendly sister witches who always seem to have exactly what you need.

My name is Andrea,

And I am deeply honored to be part of your sacred bedtime ritual.

Take a deep breath in through your nose,

Then let it out slowly and fully,

Making your exhale longer than your in-breath.

Give yourself a moment to make any adjustments necessary to get comfortable.

Notice how good it feels to be in your body at this moment,

Wrapped in your favorite bedding,

In quiet,

Familiar surroundings.

No matter what experiences life offers you,

You can always use the power of your mind to focus on something simple and sweet,

Like the feeling of being snuggled into your bed at the end of a long day.

This practice of mindfulness is the key to feeling your best,

And you absolutely deserve to feel peaceful and at ease.

From here on,

The only thing you need to do is relax and enjoy tonight's story.

You are in a rush,

Just like always lately,

Making your way down the busy commercial street.

Usually,

You very much enjoy this walk through town,

The sights,

Smells,

And sounds of a thriving community.

But today,

You are running behind,

And the activity around you feels like an unwelcome distraction,

Slowing you down.

You're just about finished with your long list of errands,

And are headed toward home when you pass by the old bay window of the Haven Shop,

Part apothecary and gift shop,

Part healing sanctuary.

Normally,

You go out of your way to walk past this window,

To see the ever-changing display of one-of-a-kind items and custom potions the Sister Witches have in stock,

And catch a glimpse of the latest healing enchantments they're spinning up for their cherished clientele.

But not today,

You tell yourself,

Stifling the soothing sensations that beckon you toward the magical shop.

Under no circumstances will you be stopping this evening.

There's still too much to do.

You resolutely walk past the large window,

Without even looking in.

Then,

You're stopped in your tracks,

As a plump,

Ebony cat tangles herself,

Quite intentionally,

Between your feet.

You have to catch yourself from stumbling,

As she weaves between your ankles,

Meowing.

You know Layla lives here at the shop,

But you've never seen her out on the street before,

And she's rarely so vocal.

You bend down to give the cat a scratch beneath her chin,

As you've seen her human companion,

Aurora,

Do so many times before.

The cat closes her eyes,

And begins to purr,

Remaining firmly planted in your path.

In fact,

She's now sitting on your foot,

In case you were tempted to try and slip away.

You know the cat has free reign of the back gardens.

You've spotted her there often in the past,

Soaking up the sunshine,

And stalking flower beds,

Attempting to catch things unseen between her tiny paws.

Worried she was accidentally locked out by a customer,

You rise,

And backtrack toward the shop door to let her in.

The cat positions herself on the street in front of you,

Staring intently with yellow-green eyes,

And lets out a declarative chirp.

It's almost as if she's shepherding you inside.

You take a few steps into the shop,

In an attempt to lure her in.

When Jadis,

The nature witch,

Spots you,

And whisks you indoors,

As if this was the cue she'd been waiting for,

Layla glides past you,

And makes her way to a display table near the window,

Where she perches,

Eyes still on you.

Jadis notices the keen interest that her sister's feline has taken in you.

Cats,

She explains,

Have the power to sense when someone is feeling overwhelmed,

And they're naturally drawn to those in need of comfort.

How have you been feeling lately?

You confirm you've been wishing there were more hours in the day.

There's always so much to do,

And so little time.

And what's worse,

The activities and people you enjoy most seem to be getting squeezed out of your schedule.

Your attention turns to Layla again,

Who's now intently focused on a velvet jewelry holder,

Showcasing various amulets and charms.

She's batting at a round gold piece,

Dangling from a short,

Tarnished chain.

Using her furry black paw,

She nudges it closer and closer to the edge of the display arm,

Until it finally gives way,

And falls onto the table with a clank.

You move toward the table reflexively and scoop up the item,

Taking a closer look.

And hoping it's not damaged,

After all,

It looks quite old.

Engraved on the front cover is the image of a woman with a gentle smile and cropped wavy hair.

She wears a brooch in the shape of a rose at the center of her collar.

Is it a locket,

You ask?

Turning the piece over in your hands,

It feels warm,

And strangely alive.

This,

My dear,

Is a pocket watch like no other,

Jada says,

And the most perfect self-care tool to get you through this hectic time.

Excellent choice,

Layla.

By now,

The resident black cat has returned to her post at the top of a tall hutch.

She reaches her front paws forward while sending her hindquarters high into the air for an exaggerated stretch.

She then lets out an unrestrained yawn before turning her back to you and curling up on her blanket,

Tail elegantly draped across her eyes to make clear that social time is over.

This pocket watch,

Jada continues,

Keeps time for you,

Her hazel eyes dancing with delight.

Don't all watches keep time?

Jada laughs.

Let's just say that when you feel that you don't have enough time,

This watch will help you make the most of each and every moment.

Just press down on the top crown piece to open it,

Then wind it up.

Keep it as long as you need.

Jada cups your hands in hers,

Giving them a quick squeeze before walking away to help another customer.

You have no idea what the nature witch could have possibly meant by all that,

But you're intrigued.

You look again at the vintage woman on the case of the timepiece,

Her Mona Lisa smile,

Her rose brooch.

You wonder who she is.

As instructed,

You press down on the topper.

It doesn't open right away.

You hope the hinge wasn't broken in the fall.

But then,

The watch begins to vibrate ever so softly in your hand.

A tiny glint of light appears in the center of the rose at the woman's throat and begins to move through the engraving,

Tracing it line by line,

Animating the woman's face.

This cannot be real,

You say to yourself.

Is it a trick of the light?

But the woman's smile grows warmer,

Right before your eyes,

And she winks at you before the cover pops open,

Revealing the face of the clock.

It waits,

Alive with energy,

For you to wind it.

With trembling fingers,

You twist the topper as far as you can.

And something in the air changes.

When you look up,

Everyone around you seems to be moving in slow motion.

Everyone but you,

That is.

How very strange.

You open the door and step out into the busy street.

Everyone is going about their business.

Seemingly unaware that they're moving at a snail's pace.

People are suspended in mid-stride,

Halted in conversations.

And vehicles on the road are in a perpetual state of near stillness.

And it's as if you're in the middle of the road.

And it's as if someone has turned down the volume on the man-made world.

Birdsong and the sound of breeze through the trees is all you hear.

In fact,

It appears the natural world is carrying on as usual,

Unaffected by the enchantment.

You spot a vibrantly colored cardinal in a nearby tree.

Its feathers ruffle gently in the breeze.

The bird's gaze meets yours,

Just for a moment.

And you sense a fleeting connection between you.

Like a shared awareness that you're in this pocket of undisturbed time.

The bewitched pocket watch ticks merrily in your palm.

You snap it closed and tuck it into your pocket for safekeeping.

Realizing you now have plenty of time to enjoy the walk home,

You decide to take the scenic route through the woods.

There is a walking path that leads to your street,

Which you just recently discovered,

Thanks to another one of the shop's curiously intelligent animal residents.

You open the shop's side gate that allows you to access the back gardens.

At once,

You are overcome by its beauty.

Brilliant flowers in shades of soft blue,

Sunshine yellow,

Lavender,

And pure white wrap around the property's border in meandering rows.

Purple lilacs sweeten the air,

And you spot a singular bumblebee,

Busily collecting nectar on one of the blooms,

Its gentle buzz filling the otherwise quiet space.

You recall Jadus telling you before that bees represent new beginnings and communication.

When they cross your path,

They are reminding you to slow down and enjoy the sweetness of life.

How easy it would have been to overlook this little ambassador of well-being,

Had you been rushing.

You make your way to the wooded footpath at the edge of the property.

The smell of pine and damp leaves fill your nose.

It is deliciously quiet,

As if the whole world has been put on pause,

Just so you can catch your breath.

Between the tops of evergreen,

Oak,

And maple trees,

You see shades of deep orange,

Soft peach,

And raspberry cast by the setting sun.

Everything is so beautiful.

You can scarcely remember what you thought was so important that you had to rush through your day with such urgency.

Moments like this are what life is all about,

You think.

When you reach your home,

You receive a clear request from your body for comfort and nourishment.

You know instinctively that this is to be your top priority in the moment,

And allow it to guide you.

You kick off your shoes and decide to prepare your favorite meal.

You're not sure why,

But you tend not to prepare lovely dishes for yourself very often.

You're worth it,

After all.

As you prepare ingredients,

You remain purely focused on your tasks,

And it's surprisingly comforting.

The simple ritual inspires a wave of gratitude for the endless abundance of food that's always available to you.

You plate your meal with love and caring,

As if you were serving royalty.

It's fun to express your creativity in this new outlet.

Sitting down to eat,

You savor each bite,

Proud of your culinary creation and the nourishment it brings you.

It's so nice when your body and mind are in perfect harmony.

You make a mental note to practice mindfulness.

You make a mental note to practice mindfulness more often.

After you've finished your meal,

You look out the window and notice that the sunset appears to be suspended in the sky,

In the same place it was while you were walking home.

It's as if hardly any time has passed at all.

Incredible.

You take advantage of this gift of time,

Tidying up your home,

Taking care of dishes,

And catching up on the tasks that had gotten away from you during the week.

During the week,

You do meal prep for the days ahead and select your outfit for tomorrow,

Getting a jump start on the next day.

When your work is complete,

You feel satisfied,

Prepared,

And content.

It's as if a weight has been lifted off your shoulders.

You decide to prepare a cup of tea and do a bit of reading.

You choose your favorite blend and fill a well-loved kettle with water.

You mindfully prepare a teacup,

Patiently awaiting the gentle hum to fill the kitchen,

Signaling the water is nearing a boil.

The warmth of the freshly boiled water,

Poured gracefully into the cup,

Awakens the tea leaves and initiates the infusion process.

The kitchen becomes a sanctuary of tranquility,

Punctuated by the subtle swirl of steam and the soothing aroma of your healing elixir.

Hands wrapped around the warm cup,

You make your way to your favorite chair to catch up on some reading.

It's been too long since you were able to sit down and enjoy.

With quiet reverence,

You create a cozy reading nook for yourself,

With soft blankets and dim lighting.

As you turn the pages and sip your drink,

You lose yourself in the narrative,

Appreciating the beauty of the words and the luxury of savoring every sentence without the usual rush.

You relish the story and its characters,

Fully immersed in the enchanted world created by the author.

When you've had enough leisurely reading,

You feel strongly guided to make an entry in your private journal.

The magical pocket watch naturally becomes the focal point of your reflections to start.

You carefully chronicle the subtle wonders and newfound perspectives gained during your extended moments.

Then,

You document your most recent personal triumphs and accomplishments that make you the most proud.

You take your time honoring yourself for how far you've come.

Then,

You turn your thoughts to the future,

Mapping out your dreams,

Intentions,

And aspirations for your next chapter.

You nearly lost sight of them,

Having been so caught up in the details of your busy life.

It feels so nice to reaffirm your desires and nurture them with loving thoughts.

Finally,

You stand and stretch your arms overhead,

Letting out a luxurious yawn.

You look around your home,

Tidy,

Cozy,

And arranged exactly to your liking.

With your activities complete and belly full,

You decide to indulge in a warm shower.

You prepare for your sacred bathing ritual and step underneath the stream of deliciously warm water.

The steam,

Combined with peppermint soap,

Opens up your lungs,

Clears your sinuses,

And soothes away tension from your muscles.

As the water flows,

You set an intention for all worries,

Stress,

And distractions to be washed away.

After a luxuriously long cleansing,

You pull a fluffy cotton towel around your body,

Appreciating its softness as you dry off.

Then,

You slip into your coziest pajamas and pull on a pair of soft,

Clean socks that wrap your feet in comfort.

Your eyes are beginning to droop.

The sun has set a bit further now.

It's finally getting dark.

You are fully content with the work you accomplished today,

But feel an even greater sense of pride for having given yourself permission to focus on the simple pleasures of your life.

You feel worthy,

Reconnected,

And oh so tranquil.

To your body,

It feels quite late,

But thanks to the pocket watch,

You will be treated to an extra long slumber tonight.

You crawl into bed and are embraced by your mattress,

Cradling you in a cocoon of comfort.

The softness of the sheets invites a sense of luxurious surrender.

As you sink deeper down into rest,

The gentle support from the pillows molds to the contours of your body,

Providing not just physical comfort,

But a soothing balm for the mind.

As you close your eyes,

A profound sense of fulfillment washes over you,

A culmination of the day's endeavors and the promise of rejuvenation.

Every inch of your being feels nurtured and tranquil,

And you surrender to the embrace of night,

Completely at ease.

The rhythmic ticking of the pocket watch on your bedside table is grounding,

And lulls you into a deep state of relaxation.

Sleep comes for you quickly,

And carries you off into your private world of dreams.

Good night.