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.280Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAqCAzAmh7t
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.280Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlhHpQIph1T
"Finally," Maddie teased as Chrissy dropped onto the sand. "We were about to send a search party."280Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2J2p035olB
Chrissy rolled her eyes, catching her breath. "Overslept." She reached for the book. "Anything interesting?"280Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6l0uH4CYxN
Maddie's eyes gleamed. "More than interesting. Listen to this." She cleared her throat and read aloud:280Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpuvBJN7X1y
"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."280Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡK9oHIIzh25
Chrissy shivered despite the warm breeze. "Sounds like the lighthouse story."280Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQLTHwVx1vB
Nick nodded. "The townspeople thought she was a mermaid. That's why they wanted the lighthouse keeper to give her up."280Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPk99qdLjES
Maddie snapped the book shut. "And that means we need to go to the lighthouse."280Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKUDVhTYLfc
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.280Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡG0R95iE4zU
"We have to," she said, surprising even herself. "If there are answers, they're there."280Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡftnPRvn08i
Nick sighed. "I was afraid you'd say that."280Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9hUXD6MN8c
The Lighthouse Exploration280Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9kmqGWYISW
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.280Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡonrPTDh9uE
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.280Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgYMghzyEfF
"This place is straight-up haunted," Maddie whispered, running a hand along the peeling wallpaper.280Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkfEOo6H6fE
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.280Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSdseIR9Yjy
"A Bible?" she murmured.280Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaFUcaoPQsj
Nick, who had been rummaging through a nearby cabinet, glanced over. "Weird place to leave it."280Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfXomjrU7pq
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.280Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7YdqNwSULo
Nick bent down and picked it up. His expression shifted from confusion to shock as he turned the picture toward Chrissy.280Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡr8igqyo8Eo
"Uh... is this you?"280Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYlzyWYVyec
Chrissy frowned, reaching for it. But the moment she saw the image, her breath hitched.280Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYWmqa89v0G
The woman in the photograph wasn't her. And yet... she could have been.280Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBbmJ2jScMX
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.280Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmJcZh8sPDR
Chrissy turned the photo over. Scribbled on the back, barely legible, were the letters: S & J.280Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBfBuywnQ3W
Maddie peered over her shoulder. "Who's 'S & J'?"280Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5lxYzzWEcd
Chrissy didn't answer. Her heart pounded as she stared at the image, the lighthouse's eerie silence pressing in around them.280Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2JAUwhGUAk
She wasn't sure what she'd been hoping to find here. But this... this was something more.280Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkxECZyKS61
Something personal.280Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIv67qJPlLN
Something unsettling.280Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxNjHSTsnqj
And she had no idea what it meant. 280Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡazm5aeF4c1
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.280Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUT4Br8Dd9n
Why did she look like her?280Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡET7cW7vZ5N
Why did she feel like the lighthouse was calling her?280Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9I4aCA8oVz
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.280Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpFMTTRszUE
Like someone was watching.280Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVLHnOHru07
She sat up quickly, heart pounding, and forced herself to look outside. Nothing. Just the trees swaying in the wind.280Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLxZcRGbQBj
Still, she couldn't shake the unease.280Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNN1hj86bge
Tomorrow, she'd tell Nick.280Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGvw5GAH1gi
Maybe then, they'd figure out what this all meant.280Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ10Fe39xlKb
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.280Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsYpoeQWPJJ
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.280Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkjkGvPp8GJ
Nick was already there when she arrived, standing near the water's edge, absently tossing small rocks into the surf.280Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpnwgjsWRKY
"Hey," she called, pulling her bag higher on her shoulder.280Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJsjPrVkBbB
Nick turned, giving her a once-over like he was checking for something. Weird.280Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJ7PlITbTkB
"Hey," he said. "You good?"280Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVIy1P8PuEd
She hesitated. Should I even say anything? It was probably nothing. Just her mind playing tricks on her. But then again...280Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡi1SqqjgSto
"I don't know," she admitted. "Last night, I had this weird feeling. Like I was being watched."280Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTI1KXLb9zc
That got his attention. He straightened, his easygoing expression shifting to something more serious. "Watched?"280Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiNS5352u20
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."280Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrHCNXhRsVY
Nick's jaw tightened slightly, and his gaze flicked past her, scanning the area as if expecting to catch someone lurking in the dunes.280Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡS5RSnOLrxd
"You see anything?" he asked, his voice quieter now.
"No. Just felt it."280Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡX820OJR1vH
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?"280Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1FdkbavGul
Chrissy shrugged. "I mean, I think so."280Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡx8Z2oM3V1k
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?"280Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2Dbx8PKdOU
"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."280Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOQJMc2EeC9
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.280Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqmTL3DP094
Maybe she had imagined it.280Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPLYqythynU
But if that was true... why did Nick look like he wasn't so sure?280Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmZoeTfOS2y
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