Suncursed

3: Cursed

"Cursed is the one deemed unworthy."

~~~~~~~

Koana ended up staying over for the night, telling her parents that over the weekend her and Max were going on a road trip to a cabin in the mountains. Max didn't bother calling her parents, she felt like they were going to be too distracted to even notice she'd be gone from the house for a few days. They weren't even here, so it's not like they could do much anyways. Max was usually pretty responsible enough and they knew that. Being left alone often due to her parents trips meant Max was well equipped to being by herself for awhile. 

Tossing around on her bed a little, Max tried not to wake up Koana while doing so. She felt so restless, she didn't really know why. Maybe it's because it's the only time she felt like she had a chance of finding something important. On the other hand she felt anxious too, wondering if maybe this was just a dead end. 

Sighing for the eighth time, Max sat up and brushed the hair out of her face. Her eyes wandered over to the book sitting on her dresser. Its eerie glow of the golden vines was animating in the moonlight from her window. 

Max's curiosity was almost exploding out of her chest now, her heart racing. She just needed to try and open it, one more time.  Maybe there was something she missed.

Tossing the covers to the side, she moved up and over to the table. The full moon was lighting her room enough for her to be able to see clearly. She gently reached out and touched the vines on the cover again. Feeling its bumps and the slightly rough cover underneath. Something pulsed below the palm of her hand, and she almost jumped. But strangely, she didn't feel scared.

After a moment, the pulse happened again. Max felt a shiver run up her arms and down to her legs. 

What was that?

Max gasped as a light beamed through the crease, increasing in brightness every second. Max was just about to remove her hand from the book out of worry it was going to explode or something. However, when she attempted to pull away her hand had practically super glued itself to the cover. With a few huffs, and the aid of her other arm, Max kept tugging harder and harder. Her hand along with the book were still unmoving and Max began to feel herself panic.

"Koana..." Max mumbled, still slightly in shock at what was happening. At first the book just kept glowing more and more, then the pain started. Heat crept up on her skin like a snake craving for the sunlight. Slow and steady it moved further to her wrist.

Max's eyes were now filling with water as the pain became more than she could handle. This time her voice came out in a loud scream, "KOANA!"

Instantly her friend shot up with wide eyes, looking over the room to find Max standing over the book as her hand was shining a bright gold along with the book. "Max what in the hell?!"

She ran over and grabbed her friends arm, desperately trying to pull it off. "My hand, I-It won't move Koana what's happening?" Max's voice broke as tears streamed down her face.

Koana kept trying to pull her had off of it, not being able to bear hearing Max cry out like this. "Just hang on, maybe it'll stop."

Max cried out again as the burn kept going, feeling like a thousand tiny needles were piercing her skin. 

"Make it stop make it stop!" Max closed her eyes as Koana continued her efforts into pulling her hand away. When she touched the part that was glowing it burned Koana's hand as well and she flinched back quickly with a small hiss through her teeth.

When it felt like Max couldn't handle it for a second longer it slowed the burning before coming to a complete stop. The glow died immediately and Max dropped to her knees with a gasp. Koana followed her down and held her shoulders as Max took deep inhales.