Get Sleepy: Sleep meditation and stories - The Night Carnival

Starting point is 00:00:00 Before tonight's episode, I want to let you know about our supporters' feed Get Sleepy Premium, the best way to experience the show and get a good night's sleep. With Get Sleepy Premium, everything is ad-free. You'll receive a bonus episode every week, and have full access to our entire back catalogue. Your support really helps, and means so much to us. Simply tap the link in the show notes to learn more. Now, a quick word from our sponsors who make it possible for us to bring you two free episodes each week. Welcome to Get Sleepy.

Starting point is 00:00:41 Where we listen, we relax relax and we get sleepy. I'm your host, Thomas. Thank you so much for tuning in. Tonight with Halloween just a week away, we have a special seasonal treat for you. We'll be exploring a strange and fascinating carnival that appears for one night only, and you have a ticket to enter. As always, we try to provide a good mix of seasonal episodes on Get Sleepy. We know some of you especially look forward to Halloween, while others prefer different times of year. Similarly to previous episodes like Night of the Full Moon, The Corn Maze or The Count's Castle, this story holds a subtle hint of eiriness. But as always, nothing will come to harm or frighten us.

Starting point is 00:01:48 The wonderful author, Shady Grove, loves this time of year and really enjoys getting creative and writing these stories. So both she and I hope you'll enjoy it, and that as always, it will lead you to a good night's sleep. Okay friends, let's settle in now for tonight's story. It really means the world to have your company. Thank you again for being here, and for making all of our efforts and hard work so worthwhile and meaningful. And remember to be grateful to yourself for being here too.

Starting point is 00:02:38 Simply by listening to get sleepy, you're inviting a natural haven for rest as you lay here in bed. Let's just spend a moment scanning through the body. Looking out for any tension, unease or stress you can feel within. So move through the body starting at the top of your head, all the way down to the tips of your toes. And if you do come across any unease, then use the depth of your breathing to invite a greater sense of calm. Breathe calm and peace into the body and into the mind. Then, use the exhale as a means of letting go of unwanted tension, worries or distractions. Release, tension. With each passing breath, you can unwind more and more.

Starting point is 00:04:18 Knowing that this is a time where you are free of responsibility, free of the need to actively concentrate on anything at all. Just allow the sound of my voice and your own calming breaths to guide you towards a pleasant night's sleep. It's time to begin our story. So I'd like you to picture a winding road dotted with fallen leaves, andimmering in the fading light of day, after an earlier rainfall. This is where our story begins. The road is bathed in the muted purple of twilight. A few heavy clouds hang in the sky, evidence of the late afternoon rainstorm that left puddles

Starting point is 00:05:54 on the pavement. A small walking path follows the road to one side. Occasionally your shoes brush against wet grass as you make your way down it. As the rain of the golden brown leaves that cling to the tree branches overhead. You're grateful for the familiar warmth of your coat tonight. As the thought crosses your mind, a gust of wind picks up a bunch of damp leaves and tosses them end over end down the road. You watch them tumble and float, cart-weiling across the dark surface, like flecks of gold in a pot of ink. Autumn is a beautiful season, you think. A time of transition and transformation. transformation, when the last vestiges of bright summer depart to make room for the cold hush of winter.

Starting point is 00:07:32 There's also always a bit of mystery in the air at this time of year. You can never be sure what you'll see, even on the most familiar streets. Just as the trees change a little every day, so does the world around them in autumn. The thought makes you smile to yourself. A little mystery keeps life interesting. Your feet guide you down the walking path as your mind wanders. You think of the colours of an autumn day, the brilliant oranges, fiery reds and shimmering yellows. The flavours come to mind next, pumpkin dump leaves, spiced cider, and caramel popcorn.

Starting point is 00:08:56 Except the last scent isn't a memory. You pause for a moment and take a deep breath in. There's the distinct aroma of sweet and salty caramel popcorn on the breeze. Looking around, you can't see anything or anyone who might be responsible for it. It's just you out here on this lonely path tonight. Not even a single car has passed by for as long as you've been on your walk. You turn slowly in a circle, and as you do, the scent grows stronger. It brings to mind visions of days at the fair, or at an amusement park. You can picture the sticky mounds of toffee-covered popcorn and can almost taste the sweetness on your tongue. Just then, you hear the unmistakable strains of collier-peer music in the distance. The tune hops and skips through the air as though seeking you out to lead you to its

Starting point is 00:10:29 source. Your thought from earlier replays in your mind. A little mystery keeps life interesting. So you turn off the walking path and follow the music and the enticing scent into the trees. The sky's twilight hues have faded to midnight blue. their twilight hues have faded to midnight blue. The moon is visible when the clouds part, and it casts a pearly glow on the ghostly white trunks of the birch and aspen trees all around you. In daylight, the trees glisten and shine in their autumn splendor. At night they seem bare, standing straight, tall and imposing. And yet they're still beautiful, you think. They just look and feel larger at night.

Starting point is 00:11:48 Their colours overtaken by a stark palette of blacks, whites and grays. As you make your way through the moonlit woods, you find yourself wandering where you're going. What could be out here on a night like this? Your curiosity pulls you along one step at a time. For a moment, you consider turning back. After all, you could return home and curl up under a blanket for a lazy evening of reading, drinking hot cocoa or listening to music. Or you could even carve that pumpkin you've been keeping on the window cell. Many of the other houses, apartments and shops have their jackalandans displayed, but yours is still just a pumpkin. As if on cue, the inviting scent of the popcorn grows stronger. The coliope music intensifies as well. It's steam whistle notes dancing through the trees.

Starting point is 00:13:32 notes dancing through the trees. You breathe in deeply, rel of the dry leaves crunching underfoot, and the breeze whispering through the leaves still attached to the branches. It's a soothing, rushing sound that fills you with a sense of ease. Before long, you come to the edge of a large clearing. The trees give way to a flat area where the ground has been compacted by recent activity. impacted by recent activity. It's the kind of open space you could see being used as a fairground, especially as the far end is bordered by an expansive cornfield which provides a natural barrier. You half expected this to be the origin of the music and the smell, but now you can see there's nothing here.

Starting point is 00:14:53 It's just you, the falling leaves, and the cool, whispering breeze. Westbring Breeze. But then, out of the corner of your eye, you see a small booth. It's a bright cherry red on all sides, undiscovered by a slanted jet-black roof. The booth is only big enough for a single person to stand inside. You walk over to it, hoping to find someone to ask about the strange music. But you find You find the booth is empty. The counter is chest high and boasts an old fashioned machine with hand painted gold lettering and a large gold button. There's an arrow and the words press for ticket. Once again, your curiosity gets the better of you. You press the button and the machine sends out a single rectangular paper ticket. Holding it up to the moonlight, you read what it says.

Starting point is 00:16:30 The night carnival, one night only, find your way to the big top. All attractions gone by morning. Present ticket to enter. And on the other side of the ticket, you see your name written in the same lettering. How odd you think. You didn't tell anyone you were coming here tonight, because you didn't know. But as strange as it is to find your name on a ticket, it's nothing compared to what you see when you look up. The clearing starts to shimmer like a mirage. You see the almost translucent outlines of structures beginning to appear.

Starting point is 00:17:35 A ferris wheel, a fun house, game booths, a carousel. The image quivers around the edges, before coming into full view. Right before your eyes, the clearing is transformed into a carnival, complete with flashing signboards, game cards and colorful displays. Beyond the ticket booth, you see a single town style. Perhaps that's where you enter, you think. You walk over to it and find a slot to insert your ticket. Pushing through the metal turn style, you enter the world of the night carnival. In an instant, your senses are enraptured by your new surroundings. The colliope's whistling tune fills the air around you, in concert with organ music emanating from the carousel.

Starting point is 00:19:07 Delicious savoury and sweet aromas waft toward you from unseen sources. And your eyes can't decide what to gaze at first. The old-fashioned signboard at the house of curiosities, or the light bulbs flashing in a circle around the funhouse. Turning back for a moment, you realise you can no longer see the woods. Perhaps you wondered deeper into the carnival than you thought. You try to glance around the side of a tent only to find your view blocked by a large set of swings. It's alright, you think. You can always try again later.

Starting point is 00:20:12 Returning your gaze to the options at hand, you decide to visit the House of Curiosities first. The path there is lined with jackalantins whose expressions seem to shift with the flickering candlelight. The door to the house is made of wood and is propped open with a small wedge. wedge. You wander inside letting your eyes adjust to the even dimmer light. The first display you come to is a pedestal, no larger than a coffee mug. On it sits a perfect little street light with a sign underneath, reading, genuine Paris street lamp. Inspecting it closely, you are impressed it could be the real thing you think. The next display features a single golden pomegranate seed. Its sign reads, a gift from the gods. In a separate room that's as dark as night, you find a lone jackalant

Starting point is 00:21:51 and sitting on a stool. There is no sign accompanying this curiosity, but you're drawn to it nonetheless. You gaze into its glowing orange depths in order to make out the details of its design. There's an old-fashioned carriage being pulled by horses whose wispy mains fall in gentle ripples down their backs. On the carriage hangs a distinctive pumpkin lantern, and on the pumpkin, the same scene is repeated in even finer detail. As you gaze at the jackalanton, you find yourself falling into a dream-like state. The flickering candlelight loels you as the repeating design draws you further in. You feel as though you can see the design repeating countless times as you drift deeper and deeper into your reverie. Time stands still as your eyes focus on the candlelight and the lantern twinkling in the autumnal scene.

Starting point is 00:23:35 The sound of gentle laughter brings you out of your trance. You glance around to see who has joined you here in the house of curiosities. Only to find you are still alone. Pulling your coat snugly around you, you decide it's time to move on. There's more to explore here at the Carnival. You wander back out into the cool night air and consider where you'd like to go next. Down the opposite path, you see the entrance to the funhouse, looming in the distance. That could be interesting, you think to yourself. Walking past the Jackalantans, you notice that some of their expressions seem to have changed once again. Or maybe it really is just a trick of the candlelight.

Starting point is 00:24:55 You can't be sure. When you reach the funhouse, you spend a few moments studying the exterior. It's a rectangular building longer than it is deep. From this distance, you can see there are two doors, one entrance and one exit, you'd guess, and a ramp leading to both. The front of the funhouse is dominated by an enormous wooden cutout of an old fashioned clown. His face is painted mostly white and he has a large red nose. Only the top of his outfit is visible, but you can see it's meant to be a loose white

Starting point is 00:25:56 shirt with red trim and oversized buttons. A matching white conical hat with a red pom sits atop his head. His expression is somewhere between a smile and a frown. The whole display is surrounded by large light bulbs. Like everything here, this funhouse and its design seem to be from a different era. It's as though the carnival hasn't been touched by the passage of time you think. But that should be impossible. Letting the thought drift out of your mind. You make your way up to the entrance. The metal door squeaks lightly when you pull it open and you enter a world where everything is different. The first room is filled with hanging pieces of fabric.

Starting point is 00:27:23 They are suspended from the ceiling, which is completely dark. The fabric is crimson and delicate as it brushes over your skin. From where you're standing, you You can't see a way out of the room. You have to find a path through you realize. Carefully you nudge the fabric to the side as you walk between the strips. When a piece lightly moves across your face, it feels like a silk veil skimming over your cheek. For a moment, you think you see someone else, but then you realize it's just the fabric waving back and forth, disturbed by your motion. When you reach the other side, you pass through a doorway and into a room with three mirrors

Starting point is 00:28:35 standing in a row. The first distorts your image in such a way that you seem impossibly tall and thin and wavy from top to bottom. The second makes you appear several times wider than normal, with waves going in the opposite direction. The third mirror reflects you more accurately, and yet there's something in the glass that fragments the image, making you appear as triangular shards of beautiful glass, put back together haphazardly in not quite your right form. With a final glance at your fragmented reflection, you leave the room. In the next and final space, you find even more mirrors. This time arranged along narrow passageways

Starting point is 00:29:50 that sneak around to the exit. It's easy to get turned around in here, you think, seeing yourself reflected back in every direction. Seeing yourself reflected back in every direction. You put your hands out in front of you and begin to navigate down the hall of mirrors. You don't want to accidentally walk into a wall, so your hands will stop you before you do. Every time you turn a corner, you see yourself move out of the corner of your eye. You catch a flickering motion and realize it's your own feet walking down the passage. You turn a corner and then another and another that looks the same as the first. When you turn again, you hear the gentle laughter once more. It permeates the air, but you can't tell where it's coming from.

Starting point is 00:31:10 As far as you know, you're still alone in the funhouse. Finally, you locate the exit and step out into the chilly breeze. It's a welcome contrast to the still air inside the building. You're glad you walked through both the fun house and the house of curiosities. But you think you'd like to spend the rest of the night outdoors. You aren't sure where to go next, so you let your feet guide you. You walk around the back of the funhouse, past a few antique game setups. There's a ring toss booth. Another is a beanbag toss, and a third has a large mallet

Starting point is 00:32:17 and a thermometer. You assume you have to hit the bottom of the thermometer to test your strength and see how high the mercury climbs. Beyond those is an old red ferris wheel. You don't see anyone working it or riding it, which makes you consider something you hadn't put your finger on before. You haven't seen a single other person since you arrived. While the carnival is open and everything is working, there's nobody here but you. As you approach the Ferris wheel, it slows its soft movement and comes to a stop with a carriage right in front of you. Without hesitation, you open the safety bar and climb into the seat before lowering the

Starting point is 00:33:30 bar again. Soon the ride starts up and you find yourself travelling at an easy, comfortable pace into the sky. When you reach the top, the wheel slows, giving you time to admire the view. Taking a long look, you can see the night carnival stretching out in all directions. You seem to be at the heart of it all here. But oddly enough, you can't see the woods you walked through, or the cornerfield that borders the clearing on the far side.

Starting point is 00:34:27 It's as though the only thing for miles is just this carnival. As the carriage begins to descend, you take a deep breath of the fresh night air. It feels soothing and cleansing, helping you release any lingering thoughts. By the time you reach the bottom, you're You're ready to keep exploring. There's just one more thing you really want to see. The Carousel. You heard its charming organ music earlier, but you'd like to experience it up close. Right as you think that, the sound of the organ grows louder, leading you towards the elusive right.

Starting point is 00:35:39 You weave your way through booths, rides and fun houses, turning corner after corner and looping back on yourself once or twice. But eventually you make it to the carousel. The craftsmanship is incredible. It's an old one with hand carved and painted wooden animals. Long poles extend from top to bottom, giving riders a place to hold on. But what really draws your eye is the exquisite paint job on the animals. They look so life like you muse. Every single one has a unique expression. No two horses, swans or ostriches are the same. The animals are dressed up for the season it seems.

Starting point is 00:36:54 Each one has a thin orange, black and purple bow made of ribbons. As with the house of curiosities, jackalantans line the edge of the ride. They surround it like centuries keeping a watchful eye. Carefully, you step up onto the carousel. You'd like to find the perfect place to sit, so you move between the rows of animals, admiring them as you pass. You run your fingertips over the grooves in a horse's mane, and over the lines of a swan's wing. They're even more beautiful up close. About halfway around the carousel, you find a little sleigh being pulled by two brown

Starting point is 00:38:04 deer. You take a seat resting your chin on your hand as you look out into the night. The pace of the organ music picks up as it begins a new song and the carousel turns along with it. Again, you find yourself drifting into a sleepy reverie, lulled into a trance by the movement and the magical sound of the instrument. You could almost stay here forever, you think. Just then, the same familiar laughter rings out through the air. You blink your eyes sleepily and look around. Just as before, there's no one here but you. You suppose it's time to move on though, so you stand up and hop off the carousel. When your feet touch the ground, you feel something in the air, change.

Starting point is 00:39:39 It's like a flicker of magic, a glimmer of something otherworldly. And when you look ahead of you, you see it, the big top. You don't recall noticing the enormous red and white striped tent when you first arrived at the carousel. But it must have been there, you think. Tents don't just appear out of nowhere, do they? You wonder. You begin walking towards it when you hear the gentle laughter once again. Posing you gaze into the distance. You see motion inside the big top. The ethereal sounds of performers, talking and dancing float toward you on the breeze.

Starting point is 00:40:52 Perhaps this is where the mysterious people responsible for the night carnival are. As you're watching the tent, a single cloud drifts across the face of the moon, sending the carnival and the big top into shadow. You recall the words printed on your ticket, find your way to the big top. It didn't say you had to visit the big top, just find it. You think perhaps it's best to leave the mysterious tent to its hidden performers, at least for tonight. With your mind made up, you glance in the opposite direction. Strangely enough, you see the turn style standing behind you. You're sure that wasn't there a few minutes ago. With a final look at the strange and wondrous night carnival, you push through the metal metal turn style and step back into your own world once more.

Starting point is 00:42:33 The woods stand at attention in the distance, just as they did when you first arrived. You can still smell the alluring scent of Toffee Popcorn and hear the strains of coliope music, but already they are beginning to fade into the night. Turning back, you watch as the carnival shimmers, quivers and disappears from view. With a sigh of contentment, you make your way to the woods. The moon hangs high and bright in the sky without a single trace of cloud left. The trees are bathed in a delicate white glow. As you walk, you listen to the familiar sounds of leaves crunching underfoot, and the breeze whispering through the tree branches. When you reach the far edge of the woods, and step out onto the footpath that follows the road, you know you aren't far from home. The air is colder now at this time of night. You put your hands deep into your pockets. But your fingertips touch something, like the corner of a piece

Starting point is 00:44:30 of thick paper. You pull out the mysterious paper and hold it up to the moonlight. It's your ticket that still bears your name. But now it reads, thank you for visiting the night carnival. One night only, all attractions gone by morning. We'll see you again next year. We'll you see us. With a smile, you tuck the ticket back into your pocket. A little mystery really does keep life interesting. You whisper into the night before making your way back home to bed. ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... you you

Get Sleepy: Sleep meditation and stories - The Night Carnival

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