Forces Beyond The Grave

10.6

"I can't believe she's really gone." 

"I know. I'm sorry Skye." 

"No, don't say that." Skye frowned as she took Lennox's hand. "It was gonna happen eventually, right? There was no way your mom could've used her body forever." 

"No, but I wish there's something I could've done." 

"Lennox I don't think there's anything anyone could've done to help her, she was a goner when she went missing the first time." She shook her head, seeing Lennox's disappointed and ashamed facial expression. 

It surprised her, seeing as it was the first time she'd seen any sort of emotion come from Lennox in a long time. 

"Honey this is not on you. You know that, right?" She said reassuringly.

Lennox nodded a little, but didn't seem convinced. After a few seconds she shrugged. "I just feel so responsible. Not just for this, for everything, you know? I mean it was my mom running around inside of her, keeping her body for...for scraps." 

"I know. But it raises the question, where's your mom now?" 

"I don't know, I haven't heard from her since I ran away from the manor a few days ago, and now that she doesn't have a body to roam around in...I just wish I knew what happens now." 

"You and me both. Do you think she'll come back?" 

"I threw her precious legend in her face, she'll be back, this time with reinforcements, I'm sure." 

"You think she'll bring the wrath of the spirit world down upon you? Like some great reckoning to make you do what she wants?" 

"I don't know. All I know is that this whole legend thing was crazy enough to consume everything about her, it's all she ever wanted and expected of me. She's angry, and she's a ghost, literally." 

"Yeah, I'd say that's an advantage if I've ever heard of one. Aren't you gonna be late for class?"

Skye watched as Lennox checked her watch and then sighed. "Yeah. But I figured we needed to talk, so it doesn't matter, I'll go to the catch-up this afternoon or something." 

"Okay. Are you okay?" 

"Me? Yeah, why?" 

"Well, you seem a lot more...empathetic, than usual. Actually you seem really bummed about Kaila. Kaila's body, you know what I mean." 

"Right. Um...yeah, well you know, I guess I'm just...feeling a bit wigged out about the whole thing. And I just wanted to keep you in the loop, and make sure you were okay. You and Caleb, you're pretty much all I have left with my dad going out of town. And I don't know what comes next but I got a pretty bad feeling about it, so I just want you to be safe." 

"Oh. Well that's very...friendly, of you." 

"Thanks." 

"You're welcome. Really, are you sure nothing's going on with your feelings? Because they seem to be...around." 

Skye narrowed her eyes as she spoke, leaning back slightly in anticipation of Lennox's usual cold comment about her hopefulness being aggravating and uncalled for. But in the style of the Lennox she once knew, she watched her friend shrug a little and then nod. 

"Yeah, well...you know, seeing your mom for the first time in over a decade does something for a girl's emotions. Actually they've been around, since that happened, but a little more, since yesterday."