Get Sleepy: Sleep meditation and stories - Down the Mississippi (Premium)

Episode Date: January 9, 2020

This is a preview episode. Get the full episode, and many more, ad free, on our supporter's feed: https://getsleepy.com/support. Down the Mississippi  Narrated by Simon Mattacks. Enjoy a relaxing boat ride down the Mississippi River.     About Get Sleepy Premium: Help support the podcast, and get: Monday and Wednesday night episodes (with zero ads) The exclusive Thursday night bonus episode Access to the entire back catalog (also ad-free) Premium sleep meditations, extra-long episodes and more! We'll love you forever. ❤️ Get a 7 day free trial, and join the Get Sleepy community here https://getsleepy.com/support. And thank you so, so much.  Tom, and the team. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Hi, Thomas here. You're listening to a preview episode. You can enjoy the entire story tonight by subscribing to our supporters' feed. There you'll get access to the entire back catalogue, bonus episodes, and more, and it's all completely ad-free. Click the link below to learn more and thank you so so much. Me and the team really appreciate your support. You're standing on a riverside path, a thin band of concrete that follows the shore in either direction. Tall, overgrown grass is creeping towards the pavement that hasn't reached it yet. Someone's been keeping the edges trimmed

along where people walk. Down below you somewhere is the river, although there's no clear cut edge to be seen. Instead, the tall grass by the path gives way to grass growing straight out of the muddy water. The grass continues to fade out until it is just pure flowing river. The landscape here is low and lush.

Its flat country, swampy in parts, save for a few rolling hills. A dense fog rolls across the river's surface, obscuring the thick green trees on the other side. It's a misty fog that touches the ground. You feel the moisture on your cheeks and see it beading in small droplets on strands of your hair. In the distance, you hear a low rumbling. Chug, chug, chug. Something is pushing its way through the water toward you. Through the fog, the faint outline of a boat begins to appear. As it moves toward you, its red and white paint becomes visible, adding contrast to the

otherwise grey palette. As it emerges from the fog, you see it's a majestic craft. Five decks edged in lacy white arches stretch along its length and two enormous smoke stacks jut up from the top. The smoke stacks are tall and cold black, with tops like crowns, fitting for such a wondrous boat. At its stern is an enormous red paddle wheel. It's wooden planks chatter rhythmically as it pushes and pulls the water beneath it.

This is a classic riverboat. Its width and shallow draft make it ideal for navigating the muddy and ever-changing waters of this channel. But it's more than just a paddle wheeler. This was once a showboat. Two landing stages jut out from the front like red carpets waiting to be rolled out for a lucky visitor. In the olden days, performers would welcome boarding visitors with a taste of the on-board entertainment. As it nears you, the boat moves closer and closer to the banks. As it nears you, the boat moves closer and closer to the banks.

Its heavy paddle turns more slowly, as it drifts the final few feet, coming to rest just below where you're standing. A handful of crew members maneuver a landing stage into position, resting it on the grass near your feet. You now notice the name of this old showboat painted in fanciful red and gold lettering on its side. Prize of the Delta, it's called. It's called. You walk out onto the ramp, hearing the light clanking sound it makes with every footfall. Clank, clank, clank.

You find yourself standing on the ship's lower deck. Before you is a grand double-sided staircase, leading to one of the main decks. Up above, you see even more stairs leading up and up. Walkways lead to hallways, criss-crossing the inside of the boat. There's so much to explore here. you