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.89Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡg34QMqBN9K
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.89Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡli2WKtGX8H
"Finally," Maddie teased as Chrissy dropped onto the sand. "We were about to send a search party."89Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdGzV2E9aQf
Chrissy rolled her eyes, catching her breath. "Overslept." She reached for the book. "Anything interesting?"89Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhzFlm7wrlG
Maddie's eyes gleamed. "More than interesting. Listen to this." She cleared her throat and read aloud:89Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWgCWPB8i7h
"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."89Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHAi4PO80WW
Chrissy shivered despite the warm breeze. "Sounds like the lighthouse story."89Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKVgsVL2Pfp
Nick nodded. "The townspeople thought she was a mermaid. That's why they wanted the lighthouse keeper to give her up."89Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCagrtQyeqb
Maddie snapped the book shut. "And that means we need to go to the lighthouse."89Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiYXXQqlBI4
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.89Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqwEA8ukgq2
"We have to," she said, surprising even herself. "If there are answers, they're there."89Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrDB4eQkoHA
Nick sighed. "I was afraid you'd say that."89Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSDXQliegjm
The Lighthouse Exploration89Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXARp1kGPFh
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.89Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡB6VSEP6vBH
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.89Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQGOQaeMK9N
"This place is straight-up haunted," Maddie whispered, running a hand along the peeling wallpaper.89Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡk3tqrF8Xhu
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.89Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpaDLTEZNDG
"A Bible?" she murmured.89Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMeQ8NVLGzT
Nick, who had been rummaging through a nearby cabinet, glanced over. "Weird place to leave it."89Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2QGkNDF8ms
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.89Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhQlAsC7in9
Nick bent down and picked it up. His expression shifted from confusion to shock as he turned the picture toward Chrissy.89Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhIlR1SH7cF
"Uh... is this you?"89Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuoz3srT4hR
Chrissy frowned, reaching for it. But the moment she saw the image, her breath hitched.89Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgEUidX443f
The woman in the photograph wasn't her. And yet... she could have been.89Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNTilZFuANE
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.89Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCPYJnoicV7
Chrissy turned the photo over. Scribbled on the back, barely legible, were the letters: S & J.89Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfPJPCqeGhF
Maddie peered over her shoulder. "Who's 'S & J'?"89Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRlyonkZRn0
Chrissy didn't answer. Her heart pounded as she stared at the image, the lighthouse's eerie silence pressing in around them.89Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVgqJ1Eu2ph
She wasn't sure what she'd been hoping to find here. But this... this was something more.89Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKkPlS4s7HF
Something personal.89Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡanwv7thv5v
Something unsettling.89Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9Jw5Pi5HTv
And she had no idea what it meant. 89Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJFIZbN8aUQ
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.89Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5GVbLMY3n7
Why did she look like her?89Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4d98tcj5uu
Why did she feel like the lighthouse was calling her?89Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYuj7s0W02R
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.89Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNJu184oGQH
Like someone was watching.89Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjdclBBS9kP
She sat up quickly, heart pounding, and forced herself to look outside. Nothing. Just the trees swaying in the wind.89Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡi6FqSRslMz
Still, she couldn't shake the unease.89Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgvoY7M5IjI
Tomorrow, she'd tell Nick.89Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBak4hO1VNs
Maybe then, they'd figure out what this all meant.89Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkjb3dSQbZB
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.89Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡftKi7QyigY
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.89Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQN7B3uvOI7
Nick was already there when she arrived, standing near the water's edge, absently tossing small rocks into the surf.89Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWLZjJipiS7
"Hey," she called, pulling her bag higher on her shoulder.89Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAcBX1KYN1Z
Nick turned, giving her a once-over like he was checking for something. Weird.89Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtwTYdFgOie
"Hey," he said. "You good?"89Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgvqVs8VV4g
She hesitated. Should I even say anything? It was probably nothing. Just her mind playing tricks on her. But then again...89Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡClUoTR1H0y
"I don't know," she admitted. "Last night, I had this weird feeling. Like I was being watched."89Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrsP1rGt9RP
That got his attention. He straightened, his easygoing expression shifting to something more serious. "Watched?"89Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡU1dLw2AIeq
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."89Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtWz1Hpj23B
Nick's jaw tightened slightly, and his gaze flicked past her, scanning the area as if expecting to catch someone lurking in the dunes.89Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡg58MddK3RE
"You see anything?" he asked, his voice quieter now.
"No. Just felt it."89Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUDw410tz28
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?"89Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡy54DyCwauU
Chrissy shrugged. "I mean, I think so."89Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQ8LwOA1acn
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?"89Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8lCAl11w2u
"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."89Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡK0y31ewKz0
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.89Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMenmkmmagC
Maybe she had imagined it.89Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlOPp0q30NU
But if that was true... why did Nick look like he wasn't so sure?89Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbKPAX1QzkJ
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