Escape to the Waterfall - A Gentle Sleep Story for Adults

(00:00:00) Welcome to Rest
(00:00:49) Introducing tonight's story
(00:02:37) Escape to the Waterfall

Unwind with a gentle summer tale, as Lucy and her friend Kate wander through sunlit woods in search of a hidden waterfall.

With the sounds of birdsong and flowing water in the background, this story is designed to quiet your mind and calm your body. Soothing narration and tranquil imagery make this the perfect escape for easing stress, winding down after a long day, or drifting peacefully into sleep. 🌊

Host & Narrator: Jessika Gössl 🌙 
Writer: Alicia Steffann ✍️ 

NEW episodes are released weekly! Every Tuesday at 6PM (GMT).

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Rest is a Bedtime Story podcast for adults, designed to help you drift off to sleep with calming narration and gentle music. Whether you're trying to escape daily stresses, calm your thoughts, or find a peaceful companion for the night, join popular British sleep narrator Jessika Gössl, as she reads bedtime stories that will gently guide you into a deep, restful sleep.

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Music from Uppbeat
https://uppbeat.io/t/tranquilium/gentle-resonance
License code: GTXDMMWPHZ3DUXUA

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:01):
Good evening and welcome to rest, your sanctuary for peaceful
sleep and relaxation. Whether you're escaping daily stresses or seeking
a nightly companion, you're in the right place. My name
is Jessica, and I'll be your host this evening. Before

(00:27):
we begin, why don't you turn off your screens and
turn down your volume. Now that's done, let's unwind and
help you ease into a blessed rest. Tonight. I'll be

(00:56):
reading you a gentle summer story, a story of warmth, friendship,
and nature. It's not a tale of big events or
rushing moments, but of slowing down, of noticing sunlight through
the trees, the hush of a forest path, and the

(01:19):
calming rhythm of water. Before we begin, take a moment
to get comfortable. Let your shoulders soften, let your body
feel heavy against your bed or cozy chair, and allow
your breath to find its own easy rhythm. With each exhale,

(01:47):
a little more of your day drifts away with each inhale,
a little more calm settles in. Now, imagine yourself at
the edge of late summer, when the air is warm
and drowsy, when time itself seems to stretch and pause.

(02:13):
This is where our story begins. And now let the
words carry you softly, slowly, as we step into the
story of Lucy and the day she set out with
her friend Kate for a hidden waterfall in the woods.

(02:41):
It was that time of summer when the world seemed
to slip into a lazy trance. Each morning dawned hot,
as if the streets and sidewalks had simply been keeping
warm overnight. The bird sang at dawn, but then they

(03:03):
quietly retreated. Sudden thunderstorms popped up several times a week
in the afternoon, ensuring the landscape retained its lush greenery
right through the end of the season. And yes, Lucy

(03:24):
could feel the end of the summer coming. She was
a little conflicted about it. On one hand, she was
ready for the crisp, exhilarating feeling of fall. On the other,
she was loath to let go of the slowness and

(03:46):
the freedom of the hottest season. In the late summer, especially,
everyone allowed themselves to slow down and get distracted from
the hustle and bustle of life. It was really nice,
she thought this. Knowing that her summer days were numbered

(04:11):
was probably the reason she had called up her friend
Kate and arranged a visit. Kate lived in a picturesque
small town that was surrounded by miles of forest. It
was known to hiking enthusiasts and a few of the

(04:31):
small businesses on its main street. Kateed to people who
were on walking holidays in pleasant weather. It was common
to see relaxed, smiling people having a bite at the cafe,
buying provisions at the bakery, or picking up a water

(04:53):
bottle or some other piece of equipment at the store.
Kate had been thrilled to see Lucy, and although her
visiting friend had impressed upon her that she didn't want
to be busy or do much of anything, Kate had

(05:13):
insisted on taking her on at least one little excursion.
Kate emphatically insisted that this would be a very easy
walk and that they would have solitude. The place they
were going was, she said, conspiratorially, a local secret. Lucy

(05:41):
was reassured when she watched the simple preparations Kate made
for the hike. She filled a light backpack for each
of them. There were just a few items. Lucy watched
as her host first rolled up a light, waterproof picnic blanket.

(06:07):
Then she carefully added two small towels and some sunscreen
to the same bag. Turning to the other knapsack, she
packaged up some delicious sandwiches and a couple of very
flavored sodas in delightful glass bottles. Last of all, Kate

(06:32):
reached into an enormous star she kept on the counter
and removed a handful of sugar cookies she had just
picked up at the bakery the day before. Lucy eyed
the cookies appreciatively. They were a favorite of hers. Kate

(06:55):
had instructed Lucy to wear her swimsuit under her shorts
and suggested athletic sandals for her feet. She further explained
that they would want to be comfortable and not worry
about stepping in water. Lucy supposed she meant puddles or streams.

(07:19):
In any event, she complied. The two of them got
in the car and took a short drive that involved
turning down numerous unmarked roads and jostling over dirt and rocks,
but Kate was clearly an expert at this route. She

(07:43):
drove with a little smile on her face, as if
she couldn't wait for her friend to see their destination.
When she finally parked the car, Lucy observed that it
was clearly an este dablished spot for vehicles, but one

(08:03):
that a tourist would be unlikely to know about. This
impression was supported by the fact that there wasn't anyone
else there. It was just Kate, Lucy and the birds
chirping delicately in the cool shade of the trees. Lucy

(08:28):
fetched her bag from the back seat and closed the
car door gently. She had the odd feeling that she
shouldn't disturb the peace in this out of the way place.
Standing next to the car, she paused briefly with her

(08:49):
gaze upturned far over her head. The trees swayed gently,
spraying the ground around them with orbs of sunlight that
spared across the makeshift parking lot. There was no sound
of the road here. There were no other voices. It

(09:14):
was just nature. Kate gave her friend a moment to
get herself oriented, and then walked energetically forward into the forest.
Lucy was intrigued. She jogged to catch up and reached
her friend in time to see her set off on

(09:37):
an enticing little trail that vanished right into the underbrush.
It was just wide enough that they could walk single file.
The foliage was thick there, casting a soothing coolness all
around them. They didn't speak at first. Kate obviously knew

(10:04):
where she was going, and Lucy trusted her completely. By
silent agreement, they both allowed themselves to become focused on
the regular sound of their footsteps. They walked the path
like this for some time, perhaps fifteen or twenty minutes.

(10:29):
Lucy thought about the light scuffing of their feet on
the ground. One, two, three, four, five, six, she counted
in her head, but over and around that, the rustling

(10:54):
of the leaves provided a constant soundtrack that made her
almost feel like she was at the ocean. It was
she reflected, like a sea on land, and she envisioned
the countless trees that sheltered them, gently soaking up the

(11:18):
sun above and protecting the walkers below. After a while,
Kate began to talk. She was telling Lucy some stories
about excursions she had taken with her family when she
was younger, and as Lucy listened to Kate, she became

(11:43):
faintly aware that there was a new noise in the forest.
It was a rushing sound that got gradually louder, so
that Kate had to raise her voice just a little
bit to conte he knew being heard. Then, for the

(12:04):
first time on their walk, Kate turned around and stopped,
facing Lucy. With a grin on her face, she asked
her friend if she could hear the water the water.
Lucy had not been expecting that. Without further explanation, Kate

(12:30):
turned forward again, picking up the pace. Lucy noticed that
they were climbing a little more steeply, and that Kate
was hopping a little bit from one flat, rocky step
to another. And then all of a sudden, they emerged

(12:54):
onto a little plateau. Lucy felt a rush of full
air on her face, and she realized it was also misty,
and there right in front of them was a beautiful waterfall.

(13:16):
Kate laughed and clapped her hands together as Lucy turned
to her, open mouthed. Then, with Lucy on her heels,
she picked her way along the rocky outcrop to a
place where the water pooled and swirled at the very

(13:37):
bottom of the falls. With a practiced eye, she chose
a large dry rock with a flat surface and shrugged
off her backpack. This was their spot. Lucy could see
that Lucy set down her own pack and helped her

(14:01):
friend spread out their picnic blanket. Then she sat down
with her legs outstretched, leaning back on her hands. Kate
gave her the sun block, and she dutifully applied it,
returning it so that her friend could do the same.

(14:24):
She gazed at the falls, feeling their calming effect. It
wasn't a single plunging channel of water. Rather, the small
river above divided into numerous streams that merrily bounced downward,

(14:45):
having no doubt worked away at it for hundreds or
thousands of years, The water had smoothed the underlying rock
to a satin texture that glowed faintly in the sun.
The many small streams gurgled and crashed with different noises,

(15:08):
each seeming to invite the visitor to wade in, to
extend their hand, to splash with their feet. Lucy certainly
couldn't resist for long. There in the open, the full

(15:28):
strength of the sun was once again apparent. She and
Kate had swapped the cool protection of the forest canopy
for the exposure of the warm rocks, And while she
did enjoy that feeling of being in a sauna, Lucy

(15:50):
was also beginning to yearn for the refreshments of the
pools at her feet rising, she took cough her sandals
and walked to the green and blue waters and stuck
her toes in experimentally. The water was bracing and chilly.

(16:15):
Kate laughed at her initial surprise, pointing out that the
pool was constantly supplied by fresh water from above, it
was not simply sitting there getting hot. Lucy acknowledged her point,
but she also boldly waded in. Her toes quickly adjusted

(16:40):
to the new temperature, and with each step her legs
took on the chill more and more. Before too long,
Lucy experienced the novel sensation of having the bottom half
of her body be completely cool while the top was

(17:04):
as warm as ever. She closed her eyes for just
a moment and soaked up the sounds all around her,
focusing on that oddly wonderful contrast. Now that her feet
had adjusted to the temperature, she started to notice the

(17:28):
feeling of the rocks under her toes. It was a
rolling terrain under the water, but very smooth and a
little slick. She could imagine that the waterproof shoes would
come in handy for any serious wading, but right at

(17:51):
that moment she just relished the sensation of the bottom
of the pool under her heels and her toes. She
stretched her hands wide, noticing the invigorating mist that rolled
across her warm face and shoulders. She felt so happy

(18:17):
she almost laughed. She was pulled from her reverie by
a smattering of cold droplets on her arms and face.
Eyes springing wide, she turned to see Kate, who had
waded in and splashed her. Refreshed by the small shower

(18:41):
of water, she responded likewise. Within moments, both friends were
covered in water and breathlessly laughing at each other. Kate
called a truce, and they both sloshed over to the
picnic blanket, dropping gratefully onto its sun warmed surface. Lucy

(19:08):
stretched luxuriously and closed her eyes, turning her face to
the sun. Even with the picnic blanket under them, the
heat stored in the flat rock radiated upward, toasting them gently.

(19:29):
Lucy turned her face to the side and opened her
eyes again, contemplating her view of the splashing waterfall. She
followed its churning bubbles as they spread out in the pool,
slowly disappearing one by one. It was a mesmerizing sight,

(19:55):
an endless stream disappearing into a pool and silently slipping
away to other places. She imagined a leaf traveling downstream
around boulders and under little bridges until it appeared somewhere different,

(20:17):
miles and miles away, eggs Haling deeply, Lucy lay there
with Kate next to her. Neither of them felt the
need to speak. With the lullaby of the waterfall and
the sounds of the forest around them, they may have

(20:40):
drifted off into a nap for a while. At the
very least, Lucy lost all perspective on the passage of
time and just simply existed. Her mind was at rest.
She was roused to full consciousness when she heard a

(21:04):
zipper nearby, and then felt a packet unceremoniously deposited in
her outstretched hand. Cracking an eye, she saw Kate sitting
up to unwrap one of the sandwiches. Lucy realized all

(21:25):
of a sudden that she was awfully hungry. It seemed
the fresh air had made her work up quite an appetite.
Raising herself into a comfortable cross legged position facing the waterfall,
she joined Kate in devouring her lunch. They talked quietly

(21:51):
between bites, taking SIPs of delightfully effervescent soda. It was
so cold and invigorating. After they ate, Lucy waded deeper
into the pool and even got brave enough to stand

(22:13):
under one of the gentle parts of the waterfall. It
felt really cold, but it was just the refreshing dip
she needed after baking herself for so long on the
warm rocks. When feeling too hot had turned into feeling

(22:37):
too cold, the two friends laid down on the blanket
once more, agreeing that they would dry off completely before
packing up and heading back to the car. As before,
the soothing music of the waterfall may have lull them

(23:00):
into a brief nap, It was hard to motivate themselves
to leave when they felt so very calm and happy.
As they enjoyed their final moments by the water, they
slowly nibbled their sugar cookies. Lucy savored every bite, enjoying

(23:26):
the contrast between the soft cookies and the crunchy sugar crystals. Eventually,
as is always the case with a day outdoors in
the sun, the two friends felt ready to go home
to a shady porch and cold drink. They slowly put

(23:51):
their shoes on and shook out the picnic blanket, taking
care to pack up everything they had brought with them. Then,
feeling languid and carefree, they slowly retraced their steps through
the woods. As they re entered the shady trail, the

(24:18):
filtered sunlight and the cool temperatures embraced them. Their leisurely
descent through the sheltering forest was the perfect end to
their excursion. The car was warm, even though it had

(24:38):
been parked in the shade. As they pulled back onto
the dirt road that would return them to town, Lucy
rolled her window all the way down and leaned appreciatively
into the breeze. The heat of the day was still heavy,

(25:03):
but the afternoon light was changing in a way that
indicated the golden hour was near. Lucy felt pleasantly tired
from their little adventure, and she found she was looking
forward to a quiet evening later. She lay under a

(25:28):
soft quilt in Kate's cozy guest room, gazing out the
open window. She couldn't see much, the darkness was so
much more profound in this little town, but she could
hear what seemed like a thousand crickets, and after a

(25:52):
while she saw the miraculous flashes of light that indicated
the fireflies were out in the backyard. Every time the
breeze blew, the tall old trees rustled their leaves in response,

(26:15):
And as she closed her eyes and allowed her thoughts
to wonder, the sound of those leaves took her back
to the path that led to the waterfall. She and
Kate walked it again in her mind's eye, one foot

(26:40):
in front of the other, she thought, until you hear
the gentle crashing of the falls ahead. One step, and
then another, and then another. And then Lucy slipped happily

(27:04):
into a dream about their perfect escape to the waterfall.