So recently, I finally caved and bought an Alexa. Look, I know there are lots of you out there who preach about how the device is just a way for the government to spy on you, and to be honest, I really don't care. I just thought having a device to ask stupid questions to would be kinda cool.

Anyway, I was so excited to finally get my Alexa up and running. I plugged it in and quickly got to work with setting up features and testing out voice commands. I set it up in my room for ease of access concerning things like asking for the weather or determining how long my commute would take. It didn't take long for me to fall into a routine where I would wake up, ask it a few questions, and head out to start my day. I grew accustomed to the robotic female voice and the green ring that signified a notification on my Alexa. I even started using more of the features. Whispering to the device would cause it to whisper back, which was great for not getting blasted with a loud voice after a hard day's work. I also set up a smart light to be able to turn on a lamp by just asking Alexa to do it. It's by no means a stretch to say that I was content with my purchase.

But starting about two weeks ago, my device has been acting strange. Things started off pretty normal. Sometimes, I would be awoken by a soft static sound in the middle of the night. Hell, the first time I heard it, it took me a good 15 minutes to realize it was coming from my Alexa. I figured it was just some kind of software malfunction.

"Alexa, stop."

And back to my slumber, I went. But Alexa was far from finished with me. Every night, Alexa would wake me up at a random time with this incessant static.

"Alexa, stop."

Each time, my command was thankfully obeyed. I tried looking up solutions on Google or tech forums on what to do. Resetting my Alexa yielded no solution to the problem. In fact, every night, the static seemed to get louder, despite me not changing the volume setting for the device.

"Alexa, I said stop."

It was getting harder and harder to sleep, so I finally decided to just pull the plug and disconnect the damn thing. It was helpful, sure, but not worth getting startled awake by a loud noise every night. It had been two weeks of this crap and I thought to myself, "Finally, I can get some sleep tonight!"

Imagine my surprise when the damn thing blasted static louder than it had ever before.

"ALEXA, STO-"

Then the screaming started. This deep guttural scream was emanating from my Alexa device. It was so loud I could barely hear myself think. How the fuck was this device even working? I swore I unplugged it just a few hours ago. The unsettling screams from the device made me cautiously approach the wall outlet. Surely I had made a mistake and forgot to unplug the thing, right?

My heart sank. The device was unplugged. Goosebumps ran down my arms as my brain searched for a reason why this thing was still on. The screams weren't stopping. Every second that passed, I felt more and more vulnerable. Like at any moment, something would pounce on me from the darkness of my room. My body was yelling at me to just destroy this thing. Who cares how much it was? I complied with my instincts and smashed the Alexa to bits on my floor. Finally, the screaming had stopped. My shaking hands picked up the now jagged remnants of my Alexa and disposed of them in my garbage. I returned to bed and admittedly had a hard time falling asleep. This eerie feeling was lingering on my spine. Nevertheless, I fell asleep.

I woke to the ding of an Alexa notification. Immediately, my eyes darted to the dresser I had kept it on, and there it was. Fully intact and fully functional. What the fuck? Was this a dream? It had to be. I destroyed this thing just last night, how could it be right back to where it was? Unfortunately, I had no time to think. As if the device had noticed I was awake, the screaming resumed. The same feelings of fear lept right back into my body. Every time I destroyed the thing, it would pop right back where I had originally placed it. Screaming. Over, and over, and over.

I came to the realization today that the sounds of those screams weren't just random. Those deep and unsettling sounds rippled through my bones every second of the day that I spent at my house. I had done my best to ignore them, not give them any thought. I always watched my back at home and barely slept at all at night. That's because these screams were mine. My voice was being distorted in ways I didn't think imaginable. Why was it using my voice? I mean, I've never even screamed like that. It couldn't be me for real, could it? I didn't know what to do... I DONT know what to do. As I type this, the screaming still won't stop. It's gnawing at my mind. Shadows dance in my room, weird noises intertwine with the screams. I can't separate reality from the noise that's resonating in my ears. It feels like things are crawling inside of me. I just want it to "STOP."

That green notification light just appeared around Alexa. God, she finally stopped screaming.

Suddenly, there's a knock at my bedroom door.

I live alone.