Forces Beyond The Grave

6.7

"When did that happen?" Lennox asked blankly, looking out of the car window as Jay glanced at her. 

"When did what happen?" 

"You on a first name basis with my dad. You've been doing it since I got back." 

"Oh. Yeah, we uh...we bonded, over your disappearance." 

"That's kind of weird." She cocked an eyebrow at him, and he let out a quiet laugh. 

"Yeah, I guess it is. He's a good friend now, has been for a long time."

Satisfied with his answers, Lennox decided to change the topic of conversation. "So when were you gonna tell me that you don't trust Kaila?"

A sudden conversation change, to be sure. Jay looked away from the road so quickly that his hand on the steering wheel followed his eyes, and the car quickly swerved to the left. As fast as he swerved he veered back, oblivious to the sound of the horn from the oncoming car he almost knocked from the road as he shot another glance at Lennox. 

"You heard what I said to your dad?" 

"I heard what both of you said. You're wrong. I do trust her, and no I don't think it's strange that she couldn't care less about whether I feel things or not." 

"But it's not that simple Lennox. Even Skye thinks that there's something up with her. She called her evil." 

"Skye thinks that it was evil for Starbucks to change their drinks menu when they got rid of her favourite syrup, she doesn't exactly qualify as a great judge of character." 

"You're missing the point." 

"No, I'm seeing your point I just don't think it's relevant." 

"I know you trust her. But did you even ask how she survived so long underground?" 

"Of course I did." 

"And?" 

"She didn't want to talk about it, understandable after everything she's been through." 

"So you don't know." 

Lennox glared at him. "No. I don't. And I don't care." 

"Well you should. And you didn't stop feeling things until you'd been missing for three months, you mean to tell me you didn't question things before you became a robot?" 

"What do you want me to say Jay?" 

"I want you to think about it and tell me that who you came back with was Kaila, the real one."

"Who else could it be?" 

"You tell me. You spent two years with her, does she seem normal to you?"

The pair spent the rest of the drive back to campus in silence, Lennox analysing the past two years with Kaila and Jay kicking himself for being harsh with her. As soon as he pulled up to the curb Lennox got out of the car, Jay doing the same. 

"Lennox," 

"Kaila is none of your business. I trust her, and last time I checked you trusted me, that's all you should need. Unless that has changed, you'll leave her alone."

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Kaila watched from the window as Lennox walked towards the sorority house. She could feel Jay's frustration that Lennox wouldn't listen to him, causing a subtle smile to bloom on her face. She continued to watch until he'd driven away, by which point Lennox had entered the house and come up to her room, finding Kaila by the window. 

"Hey. What are you doing in here?" She asked. 

Kaila turned. "Nothing. Waiting for you. I'm bored, you want to do something?" 

"No, thanks, I think I'm just gonna get ready for bed, study or something." 

"Pity. I was hoping we could go for a walk." She felt her eyes turn, and as she walked away from the window Lennox frowned at her now golden eyes. 

"Kaila?" 

She was met with a rush of black mist exuding from Kaila's lips, rendering her unconscious just seconds after inhalation. Kaila watched Lennox's body drop to the floor. 

"So, how about that walk?"