Chapter 3
Chrissy nearly tripped as she shoved her feet into her flip-flops, grabbing her still-brewing coffee before it had finished dripping into the pot. She didn't have time to wait—Nick and Maddie were already at the beach, and she didn't want to keep them waiting.172Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDJMwrsbqPA
By the time she reached the shore, the early morning mist was beginning to lift, revealing the endless stretch of ocean beyond. Maddie sat cross-legged on a beach towel, flipping through the pages of the old mermaid mythology book they'd found at the Book Nook. Nick stood nearby, tossing a rock into the waves.172Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡskmWPIxOa4
"Finally," Maddie teased as Chrissy dropped onto the sand. "We were about to send a search party."172Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPaFbMN9WxJ
Chrissy rolled her eyes, catching her breath. "Overslept." She reached for the book. "Anything interesting?"172Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡh0r9Ipptxv
Maddie's eyes gleamed. "More than interesting. Listen to this." She cleared her throat and read aloud:172Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡagfKJ09R17
"There are whispers of a woman who emerged from the sea, enchanting all who crossed her path. Some say she was a lost soul seeking refuge. Others claim she was something more—something not meant to stay on land."172Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRPGy8i7PhW
Chrissy shivered despite the warm breeze. "Sounds like the lighthouse story."172Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvAJ8LLrfKc
Nick nodded. "The townspeople thought she was a mermaid. That's why they wanted the lighthouse keeper to give her up."172Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcRG65fw851
Maddie snapped the book shut. "And that means we need to go to the lighthouse."172Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOcYgyWGZvV
Chrissy hesitated, staring out toward the rocky cliffs where the lighthouse stood abandoned. It had always given her an eerie feeling, like it was watching, waiting. But something inside her stirred—a pull, a strange sense of belonging.172Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzclswSV7DT
"We have to," she said, surprising even herself. "If there are answers, they're there."172Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8desEb7YRM
Nick sighed. "I was afraid you'd say that."172Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUXRFgbdKgG
The Lighthouse Exploration172Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYwZPBc8s6m
The hike up the cliffs was steep, the path overgrown from years of neglect. When they reached the lighthouse, its looming frame cast long shadows across the ground. The paint was peeling, the windows clouded with dust, and the heavy wooden door groaned in protest when Chrissy pushed it open.172Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLGLl6pNWdH
Inside, the air was thick with the scent of salt and decay. Dust motes floated in the shafts of light filtering through the broken windows. The space was small—an old wooden table, a rusted stove, a bed pushed up against the far wall. Everything was left as if waiting for someone to return.172Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoBpPpMdST3
"This place is straight-up haunted," Maddie whispered, running a hand along the peeling wallpaper.172Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNC5QcdF3WA
Chrissy's fingers trailed over the edge of the table when something caught her eye—a leather-bound book, nearly buried beneath dust. She reached for it and blew away the grime.172Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNuJXM8uUu3
"A Bible?" she murmured.172Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMSPihDT6q6
Nick, who had been rummaging through a nearby cabinet, glanced over. "Weird place to leave it."172Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8WjMj3ZyKR
Curious, Chrissy opened the cover. The pages were yellowed, the spine cracked from years of use. And then—something slipped from between the pages. A faded photograph fluttered to the floor.172Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdOiVXXBdAo
Nick bent down and picked it up. His expression shifted from confusion to shock as he turned the picture toward Chrissy.172Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfFTzj8bhzB
"Uh... is this you?"172Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1T8lwzKpxv
Chrissy frowned, reaching for it. But the moment she saw the image, her breath hitched.172Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGeJyP5rYuR
The woman in the photograph wasn't her. And yet... she could have been.172Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUpipna5yRv
The resemblance was uncanny—the same wavy dark hair, the same sharp eyes. The woman's expression was soft, almost wistful. Around her neck hung a delicate necklace.172Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHYQkEPBBRI
Chrissy turned the photo over. Scribbled on the back, barely legible, were the letters: S & J.172Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLnEcAAY16X
Maddie peered over her shoulder. "Who's 'S & J'?"172Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRxsBB4876H
Chrissy didn't answer. Her heart pounded as she stared at the image, the lighthouse's eerie silence pressing in around them.172Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhiZ1Du3BsF
She wasn't sure what she'd been hoping to find here. But this... this was something more.172Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrgZyo8iCOV
Something personal.172Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡm0ZSHxsSYT
Something unsettling.172Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡknR9ScEzAI
And she had no idea what it meant. 172Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRsgDuqJyAL
That night, back in her bedroom, Chrissy lay on her bed, the photograph held tight in her hands. She traced the woman's face with her thumb, searching for something—some clue, some explanation.172Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0BVGucOwpS
Why did she look like her?172Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡV7WocFC2eT
Why did she feel like the lighthouse was calling her?172Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkcJsMjfLcR
A shiver crawled down her spine. She glanced toward her window, the curtains rustling with the evening breeze. For a split second, the feeling from earlier crept back.172Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNnCiG4FP8s
Like someone was watching.172Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeCBdwIi5yE
She sat up quickly, heart pounding, and forced herself to look outside. Nothing. Just the trees swaying in the wind.172Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8R0cOIPbMx
Still, she couldn't shake the unease.172Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ468U0scp1r
Tomorrow, she'd tell Nick.172Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJIriDtNNZv
Maybe then, they'd figure out what this all meant.172Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAqbl6Xp9mi
Chrissy tugged her hoodie tighter around herself as she walked barefoot down the narrow path leading to the beach. The morning air still clung to a crispness that hadn't yet burned off with the rising sun, and the damp sand felt cool beneath her feet. The ocean stretched out in front of her, endless and restless, but her mind wasn't on the waves today.172Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡs1bu1v6A1q
She hadn't slept well. The photograph was still tucked safely in her bag, but its image was burned into her thoughts. The woman's face. The necklace. The resemblance. And the eerie sensation that had crept up her spine last night—the feeling of being watched.172Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhqy5WhGAxB
Nick was already there when she arrived, standing near the water's edge, absently tossing small rocks into the surf.172Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡj8TGBS0F2g
"Hey," she called, pulling her bag higher on her shoulder.172Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBVuK4uGrQA
Nick turned, giving her a once-over like he was checking for something. Weird.172Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbiyvsE3lce
"Hey," he said. "You good?"172Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDF1TdbMEJ5
She hesitated. Should I even say anything? It was probably nothing. Just her mind playing tricks on her. But then again...172Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOvLnGDzHnh
"I don't know," she admitted. "Last night, I had this weird feeling. Like I was being watched."172Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSTgDHeruCA
That got his attention. He straightened, his easygoing expression shifting to something more serious. "Watched?"172Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdzlBv5ZAMZ
Chrissy nodded. "I don't know how to explain it. It wasn't like I saw anyone, but it felt like someone was there. Just... watching me."172Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2xY9SpU3Cz
Nick's jaw tightened slightly, and his gaze flicked past her, scanning the area as if expecting to catch someone lurking in the dunes.172Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBsCvY0zVtk
"You see anything?" he asked, his voice quieter now.
"No. Just felt it."172Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2uBI6SEcZH
Nick didn't answer right away. He looked out at the beach, then up toward the boardwalk, his brows drawn together. Finally, he muttered, "Probably nothing, but... you sure you were alone?"172Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡx5W8fFnJbC
Chrissy shrugged. "I mean, I think so."172Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAXPT7msgTW
Nick exhaled sharply through his nose, then rubbed the back of his neck. "Well, if you ever get that feeling again, don't ignore it, okay?" His tone was casual, but the way his eyes kept darting around the beach told a different story.
Chrissy frowned. "You think someone was watching me?"172Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡk5lnrtUnuQ
"I think it's better to be careful," he said, then glanced back toward the boardwalk one last time. "Come on. Maddie's probably waiting for us."172Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5pWAYY1gqI
As they started walking, Chrissy noticed how Nick's posture had shifted—more alert, more aware. He kept checking over his shoulder, subtly at first, then more obviously when he thought she wasn't looking.172Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtlwt6fu4ww
Maybe she had imagined it.172Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxay4sTfZb4
But if that was true... why did Nick look like he wasn't so sure?172Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4LXFZqSwtf
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