Shoulders are things that can fall to the ground, right? Saying the word ‘free’ forces you to smile, correct? This podcast forces you to relax…at first, anyway.

I’m not going to lie- I tried to stay awake during this podcast. I really did. But Hester’s voice is so soothing that I’ve ended up falling asleep to this podcast so many times. WELL NOT ANYMORE!

I did the only thing I could think of to stay awake during this podcast: other things. Reading, cleaning, cooking, coloring, and so many other things but when I got to about episode five or six, I was so busy focusing on not drifting off that it genuinely scared me. Woods? Running? SCIENCE EXPERIMENTS?!

Season one of “Within the Wires” follows a series of cassettes set in a mental institute/laboratory from an alternate universe. It also provides some brilliant relaxation tips that actually work, which is something we all need during these trying times.

In this alternate universe, the concept of parents and siblings don’t exist. Everything is somehow wiped from the minds of children once they turn ten years old. 

The cassettes are directed toward a woman, Oleta, the one trapped inside the lab, who has started to remember everything, including her newfound sister. Oleta was sent into that lab by people who don’t want her to remember because it’s illegal to remember. 

The cassettes, from Hester, are getting Oleta to remember how she got to the lab. Heter, playing a lab worker, instructs her to “Listen. Remember. Comprehend,” and later to “Listen. Practice. Implement,” helping her get ready to break out of the lab and escape to freedom. So relaxing, am I right?

This podcast is brilliant on several levels. It relaxes the listener and tells a story of defiance and remembrance. It’s a story that can take your breath away, but you can’t let it.

You always have to remember to keep breathing.