Total pages in book: 69
Estimated words: 66997 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 335(@200wpm)___ 268(@250wpm)___ 223(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 66997 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 335(@200wpm)___ 268(@250wpm)___ 223(@300wpm)
I text back yes before putting on a pair of sweats and jogging out of my room past Charlie who was already asleep on the couch, I knew she wouldn’t last long. She wasn’t really tired, but there was a reason she couldn’t finish Yellowstone or any other show, she falls asleep the minute tv turns on. I send her a quick text and leave the apartment. It clicks shut behind me; the code clicks on. And then I’m off. Down the hall, the four flights of stairs instead of the elevator to get my steps in, and out the building into the crisp fall air.
The drive to work doesn’t take long and while I used to feel guilty that I took this job from one of many of Jude’s dad’s companies, it was literally one of the only ones that were hiring in the area and could work around my schedule. Plus, his dad owed me right? I knew he barely paid attention to this one—it was one of the many reasons his parents fought over the purchase of a useless company because of his wife’s hobbies.
A chill runs down my spine when I finally make it to Sheep Audio.
Dumb name.
Even dumber logo, great reading app though. The logo was a picture of a fluffy big sheep with a black sleep mask covering its eyes. That’s it, the black and white aesthetic sold like crazy though, they used it to brand an entire line at Target for sleep masks, gravity blankets, and pillows. One thing I knew with absolute certainty, Jude’s family was rich rich.
People relied on us reading classics live to sleep at night and relax, and I loved books. I wondered if Steven was going to finish The Count of Monte Cristo tonight. Maybe I’d get to. The center was a massive black building with blackout windows and just one entrance. It was three stories and divided into several workspaces for people who wanted to do stuff in between their sessions. A kitchen was placed on every floor fully stocked with snacks and energy drinks, which I always took full advantage of. I swiped my key card and made my way into the building and up the stairs to the second level.
“Hey, Lila,” Manson, the security guard waved at me. He was wrapped up in a book, He was wearing all black, was balding, and had four kids all under the age of eight. He always made me feel safe when I was working late. In his late forties with brown eyes and skin, one would think he was in his twenties. When I asked about his skin care routine he said it was all in hydration.
Hydration, something I always seemed to lack but needed when I was in studio. I stopped off at the kitchen and grabbed an energy drink and cracked it open. I still had another ten minutes before Steve’s time slot. I’d only have to read for two hours, and then I’d be fifty bucks richer and a bit hoarser but it was worth it.
At least I wasn’t reading textbooks. It could be so much worse, and I loved the idea that I helped people fall asleep, I put smiles on their faces. One of my favorite things was reading the comments about how they looked forward to my voice. One in particular always seemed to comment when I spoke.
Sleepyhead was the name; all I know is that it was a young male and that he often said I helped make his day brighter. He hadn’t commented in a while though, but for a few years he was a repeat customer. I hope he’s doing okay.
I check my phone and scan more comments just to read through and reply to as many as I can, since engagement is part of the reason people like the app; you can talk to your narrators. After making a post in the app that I’m about to go live, I walk over to the sound booth and sit down. I adjust my things, then put on my headphones and almost groan. Live broadcasts are brutal but they’re also the most rewarding. I like seeing people tune in and comment in real time. I quickly grabbed one of the baseball hats and face masks and put them both on to hide my identity. Now anyone tuning in watching live from socials wouldn’t know who I was and I felt safer. Something about showing my face to the world while reading felt very vulnerable, and I already felt that way to begin with so why not make it harder?
The cool part about the app was that you could be listening to a random guest celeb host or a college student like me, a famous podcaster, or a war vet. Anonymity was everything. It was about the voice, the inflection, it was about the story. And that was the only true thing still about me.