Cursed

Hayden sighs, and places his arms on Astrid's shoulders.

"Listen to me. It doesn't matter if you don't have powers, or if you don't feel like doing this process. It won't change the fact that you're my best friend,"

Astrid slowly nods and hesitantly takes the Elemenatry from him. She places it on her forehead, and took a deep breath.

But nothing happened.

For the first time that day, Hayden wore a grim smile. He tried to reason with her, but it didn't work.

"I'm going to get some sleep," She persisted in a low voice.

"Okay," Hayden said. They were practically next to each other, but his voice felt like a long distance from her.

What was it that she didn't have powers tho? She asked herself the moment Hayden's voice disappeared in silence. She had everything she needed. Hayden was right. But still, something inside Astrid told her it still wasn't right.

And there she was. Spending her most important day in her room, her best friend depressed, her mind fixed on her complaints, her body safely huddled in her bed. Scoffing to herself, she closed her eyes.

But nothing Astrid tried could help. Her eyes remained open, staring blankly at the ceiling of her and Hayden's room (it was a ripple of water because of the Aquasea's element, remembered Astrid).

Astrid did not know how long she stood there, but a few minutes (was it hours?) later, Hayden came streaming into the room.

"Astrid! HEY!"

She grinned at him and stood up, her complaints, worries, and bad memories pushed away from her mind at Hayden's delightful smile.

"Yeah?"

"There's an exhibit to see Darkhollow's most treasured items."

Astrid nearly toppled Hayden over, her eyes wide, her mouth hanging open in shock.

"Dark- WHAT?!" Astrid sprang up and pulled on her hoodie. She pushed her foot into her slipper when Hayden placed a gentle hand on her shoulder. "Calm down, A!" He said, his mind distracted by her energetic reaction to the word.

"I meant a photograph of them! (Astrid sat down at those words)" Hayden added hastily, waving a hand in the air.

Astrid's excitement sank to the bottom of her heart. But another thought occurred to her.

"Someone...FOUND IT?"

"Well yes but-"

The feeling of excitement re-entered Astrid's mind. Someone had completed the mission to find Darkhollow. They had done it. But who? Who could have done what was called "mission impossible"?

"Who?" She urged Hayden as he sat down on her bed.

Hayden shrugged. Astrid's excitement, this time, still didn't sink away. Her eyes were fixed on Hayden for answers.

When he noticed the look she was wearing, he went on with the story.

"The man or woman who found it was cursed, the moment he or she had taken the photographs, the whole place...fell apart. He or she ran a long way, well, of course, there were several traps, and after about twenty minutes of running, he or she fell, tripped I think, and his or her body fell into a large hole. The photographs stood outside of the ruins. He or she managed to leave them there."

There was a long silence, in which Astrid beamed at Hayden, giving him a look of deep admiration. "How do you know about this, Hay?" She asked, with the same look on her face.

Instead of smiling, Hayden lowered his head as though he was embarrassed. After an awkward silence filling the room, he sighed heavily.

"Let's go into the living room, and I'll tell you."