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.42Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtafcQmZRe7
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.42Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZW0cucnBh3
"Finally," Maddie teased as Chrissy dropped onto the sand. "We were about to send a search party."42Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLUk2LrOYTF
Chrissy rolled her eyes, catching her breath. "Overslept." She reached for the book. "Anything interesting?"42Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKxyAOn4E15
Maddie's eyes gleamed. "More than interesting. Listen to this." She cleared her throat and read aloud:42Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKMf9AAjPDb
"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."42Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVuuTrsC3FB
Chrissy shivered despite the warm breeze. "Sounds like the lighthouse story."42Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1LKs0f9KoF
Nick nodded. "The townspeople thought she was a mermaid. That's why they wanted the lighthouse keeper to give her up."42Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxa0L8HV4LG
Maddie snapped the book shut. "And that means we need to go to the lighthouse."42Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9NBjBI3bn6
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.42Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3td8vfupy6
"We have to," she said, surprising even herself. "If there are answers, they're there."42Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVu49X20FzU
Nick sighed. "I was afraid you'd say that."42Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡi60DE7Tcpb
The Lighthouse Exploration42Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡT1rzLvfNPO
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.42Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjMQrrZTkFu
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.42Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuEVd2GB2Lu
"This place is straight-up haunted," Maddie whispered, running a hand along the peeling wallpaper.42Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoaDIUuEIez
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.42Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpT4AwN2BVT
"A Bible?" she murmured.42Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡni9D4AEyR2
Nick, who had been rummaging through a nearby cabinet, glanced over. "Weird place to leave it."42Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡm80zrNG1nm
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.42Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXWnPf0XwCb
Nick bent down and picked it up. His expression shifted from confusion to shock as he turned the picture toward Chrissy.42Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUaw8BMif1Z
"Uh... is this you?"42Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwH42sOE3Sc
Chrissy frowned, reaching for it. But the moment she saw the image, her breath hitched.42Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡx7QuGaediB
The woman in the photograph wasn't her. And yet... she could have been.42Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUNAodbS2VO
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.42Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsKb8qS3lRb
Chrissy turned the photo over. Scribbled on the back, barely legible, were the letters: S & J.42Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXfZaipLNeM
Maddie peered over her shoulder. "Who's 'S & J'?"42Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWZkVA74U7o
Chrissy didn't answer. Her heart pounded as she stared at the image, the lighthouse's eerie silence pressing in around them.42Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNU81y1UKNT
She wasn't sure what she'd been hoping to find here. But this... this was something more.42Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXRgk4M5Fil
Something personal.42Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDbnRUiGz7O
Something unsettling.42Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcf9onIOIPc
And she had no idea what it meant. 42Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfm2M520bJ3
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.42Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0CaZVCq3oI
Why did she look like her?42Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡELR27ZAbQX
Why did she feel like the lighthouse was calling her?42Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjqY8IBGhVH
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.42Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbSuls8Kj1V
Like someone was watching.42Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaZWGdgdu04
She sat up quickly, heart pounding, and forced herself to look outside. Nothing. Just the trees swaying in the wind.42Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡd8DtfcGQzz
Still, she couldn't shake the unease.42Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡs4V7Q6ahT1
Tomorrow, she'd tell Nick.42Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIPqpuZaWuH
Maybe then, they'd figure out what this all meant.42Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0fMh6YdcNE
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.42Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡr9eZEgJq9k
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.42Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1mqlUsh2lp
Nick was already there when she arrived, standing near the water's edge, absently tossing small rocks into the surf.42Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡW4wal5ZS63
"Hey," she called, pulling her bag higher on her shoulder.42Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡf7bnWCPk0Q
Nick turned, giving her a once-over like he was checking for something. Weird.42Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5YcFWFCvxM
"Hey," he said. "You good?"42Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhYqxPwIa9Z
She hesitated. Should I even say anything? It was probably nothing. Just her mind playing tricks on her. But then again...42Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWlxA6xhEaV
"I don't know," she admitted. "Last night, I had this weird feeling. Like I was being watched."42Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnoQ7q1boTk
That got his attention. He straightened, his easygoing expression shifting to something more serious. "Watched?"42Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFwaIhlFrhc
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."42Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtduD2UjK0Q
Nick's jaw tightened slightly, and his gaze flicked past her, scanning the area as if expecting to catch someone lurking in the dunes.42Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgt01Fp2eiV
"You see anything?" he asked, his voice quieter now.
"No. Just felt it."42Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡW3k4ivd4CN
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?"42Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡP2uWXwGuD3
Chrissy shrugged. "I mean, I think so."42Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡj3xC6jDHWt
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?"42Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡthLiEI2ea2
"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."42Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvJLmuvwO3N
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.42Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGjZFQQp3bZ
Maybe she had imagined it.42Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLmo8darWgL
But if that was true... why did Nick look like he wasn't so sure?42Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlgWWQgeMUY
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