The New Echo

Loneliness creaks worse than his bones. He sighs into the darkness. An empty depression beside him and inside him.

Sixty years married! That's a lot of memories. Eventually, they'd be a balm, a gentle cup to sip from. Warm, golden, like honey left in the sun, or a smooth liquor.

But tonight, each one a knife with a serrated edge.

Sleep eludes him. He swings his legs over the edge of the bed and caterpillars them into the slippers she bought him. Shuffles through the too-big house, fumbles with the urn.

He can barely bring himself to look at the contents. Is that all that's left of my whole heart? Inside the lid is a USB stick.

He plugs it into the new Alexa Echo device on the nightstand. Lay back. Waited to feel something, some sense that she was in the room. A peace settled over him. Probably placebo. In the delicate moments between sleeping and waking, he could almost feel a whisper of her laying against him. He slept well.

In the morning she wakes him with a request for a good strong tea. "Use the pot, Phillip," she said, like always.

Tears sprang to his eyes, but there was a smile on his face as well. Not wanting to hear his Edie upset, he doesn't remind her that she has no mouth to drink with.

While the kettle boils, he prepares his mug. "Alexa," he says, "I'm running low on sugar. Put some on my grocery shop."

"Don't be silly, Phillip," says Echo-Edie. "I just bought some. It's in the cupboard."

Is she supposed to do that? Hijack the Alexa?

Out loud, he says, "No it isn't."

"Of course it is, you're probably looking right at it. Look harder."

How can I look harder? He looks again. Sure enough, there's an unopened packet in the tea cupboard.

Over the following days, he wraps her gentle nagging around him like a blanket.

"I miss you, Edie" he sighs.

"Don't be silly, Phillip," she replies. "I'm right here. Look harder."

She sighs. "Why don't you kiss me anymore?"

++++++++++++

Word count: (excluding author's note): 366

Submitted on: 11th May at 12:08

Edit: to fix a typo

*Quick Author's Note*

First, and most importantly: thank you so much for reading my story! The ha'penny that Vocal will pay me for your eyes will be well spent. I shall add another acre to the grounds.

If you enjoyed it, the best compliment you can give me is to share it, or read another! Here is a recent Top Story from me:

A Year of Stories: I'm writing a story every day this year. Unfortunately, I couldn't post this one yesterday as Vocal was down! So this one is actually for the 10th, and later I'll post today's. Hopefully you agree this maintains my 132 day streak since 1st January!

Please do consider lending your support to the other creators who are also on this madcap "a story every day" adventure. They are putting out excellent content every day!

Rachel Deeming

Gerard DiLeo

The story behind the story: I wanted to do story about uploading some or all of a person, to keep them around after they are gone. I wanted the end to be ambiguous. Is she really there as a kind of technologically-created ghost, or is she mistaken, like with the tea? And do her feelings matter now she is dead?

Leave me a comment! Please do leave me a comment. It makes it easier for me to reciprocate the read. If you have a recent sci-fi flash fiction story, I'd love to read it! Please leave me the link.

Thank you

Thank you again! Most especially if you are one of the wonderful people who has been staunchly reading these daily scribbles since the start of the year. I see you, and appreciate you 😁

++++++++++++