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.37Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4bFvPeyYt3
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.37Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGC4se0YvGV
"Finally," Maddie teased as Chrissy dropped onto the sand. "We were about to send a search party."37Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYOCWYMFg3V
Chrissy rolled her eyes, catching her breath. "Overslept." She reached for the book. "Anything interesting?"37Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoNfFFYdUwN
Maddie's eyes gleamed. "More than interesting. Listen to this." She cleared her throat and read aloud:37Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxrPF3370Yn
"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."37Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡV1TBWY90O7
Chrissy shivered despite the warm breeze. "Sounds like the lighthouse story."37Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQGjDBZf7ab
Nick nodded. "The townspeople thought she was a mermaid. That's why they wanted the lighthouse keeper to give her up."37Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaIhqWRrRxn
Maddie snapped the book shut. "And that means we need to go to the lighthouse."37Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJZfKdttXpj
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.37Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWj60vy6mJ3
"We have to," she said, surprising even herself. "If there are answers, they're there."37Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡui5c5QJ93r
Nick sighed. "I was afraid you'd say that."37Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBF2HkwQuq4
The Lighthouse Exploration37Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6g8Fc9aa6T
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.37Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnTKlcO4J1h
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.37Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJsi5hWmhmG
"This place is straight-up haunted," Maddie whispered, running a hand along the peeling wallpaper.37Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmWves4J1a5
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.37Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSsUImKvubL
"A Bible?" she murmured.37Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpjrvnnL7yc
Nick, who had been rummaging through a nearby cabinet, glanced over. "Weird place to leave it."37Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ31fBCwKJCh
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.37Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuDKVlN8ML3
Nick bent down and picked it up. His expression shifted from confusion to shock as he turned the picture toward Chrissy.37Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOfW553KOCs
"Uh... is this you?"37Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡV6KEKJ3D4h
Chrissy frowned, reaching for it. But the moment she saw the image, her breath hitched.37Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlEzWrh8HPg
The woman in the photograph wasn't her. And yet... she could have been.37Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡb0LAMBdb7g
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.37Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGG5tTDnu0U
Chrissy turned the photo over. Scribbled on the back, barely legible, were the letters: S & J.37Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZIzUx4mzWy
Maddie peered over her shoulder. "Who's 'S & J'?"37Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡClXf04mhjm
Chrissy didn't answer. Her heart pounded as she stared at the image, the lighthouse's eerie silence pressing in around them.37Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcI2yCbLcKo
She wasn't sure what she'd been hoping to find here. But this... this was something more.37Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSGAEI5riJy
Something personal.37Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3laO8c5UCD
Something unsettling.37Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAz96NIwepC
And she had no idea what it meant. 37Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsfva9NY9My
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.37Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlRPclbzmBl
Why did she look like her?37Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkfhUu6GYjU
Why did she feel like the lighthouse was calling her?37Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtjY8v6TDQO
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.37Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdFHoNSS9Sa
Like someone was watching.37Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡp3bsjX35dN
She sat up quickly, heart pounding, and forced herself to look outside. Nothing. Just the trees swaying in the wind.37Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsfx54qh8tE
Still, she couldn't shake the unease.37Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQ1z39fGUSd
Tomorrow, she'd tell Nick.37Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDS2DvRUyTE
Maybe then, they'd figure out what this all meant.37Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpvZ6ftBGQl
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.37Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡT9ZEV2wckm
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.37Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvJGNd5XTEs
Nick was already there when she arrived, standing near the water's edge, absently tossing small rocks into the surf.37Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTVhRrznlvC
"Hey," she called, pulling her bag higher on her shoulder.37Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡilceK2i4vN
Nick turned, giving her a once-over like he was checking for something. Weird.37Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxr28ViFo8K
"Hey," he said. "You good?"37Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDGAXipcZH8
She hesitated. Should I even say anything? It was probably nothing. Just her mind playing tricks on her. But then again...37Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKsLA3Hc1ES
"I don't know," she admitted. "Last night, I had this weird feeling. Like I was being watched."37Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLCzbVxD8ja
That got his attention. He straightened, his easygoing expression shifting to something more serious. "Watched?"37Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwBxaAyJI3D
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."37Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡweirfVXDle
Nick's jaw tightened slightly, and his gaze flicked past her, scanning the area as if expecting to catch someone lurking in the dunes.37Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFjE8AW6Byg
"You see anything?" he asked, his voice quieter now.
"No. Just felt it."37Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkUVE1vCCVP
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?"37Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzBkqMWR5XL
Chrissy shrugged. "I mean, I think so."37Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFAghKAjqMZ
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?"37Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwFEgGetUTf
"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."37Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡotXMfwDupf
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.37Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkhPbnindix
Maybe she had imagined it.37Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNg75rXcfHm
But if that was true... why did Nick look like he wasn't so sure?37Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCHYdIvSmTu
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