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.205Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjyiqjh0ShY
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.205Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡariEXsKou8
"Finally," Maddie teased as Chrissy dropped onto the sand. "We were about to send a search party."205Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡejVo3IoPfj
Chrissy rolled her eyes, catching her breath. "Overslept." She reached for the book. "Anything interesting?"205Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4PNGk4ECVO
Maddie's eyes gleamed. "More than interesting. Listen to this." She cleared her throat and read aloud:205Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKE2XiJvA2Q
"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."205Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡx4jOAZewNr
Chrissy shivered despite the warm breeze. "Sounds like the lighthouse story."205Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAQAh9pVZeX
Nick nodded. "The townspeople thought she was a mermaid. That's why they wanted the lighthouse keeper to give her up."205Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkkn156ioqv
Maddie snapped the book shut. "And that means we need to go to the lighthouse."205Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡF9FxTTBsPk
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.205Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwa1oJyg1Ti
"We have to," she said, surprising even herself. "If there are answers, they're there."205Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡN5BDjd7M7Y
Nick sighed. "I was afraid you'd say that."205Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡR9nkuGB1a8
The Lighthouse Exploration205Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxyai5uSrKA
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.205Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9Ry9uYa3uX
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.205Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPGyPBN3Ln5
"This place is straight-up haunted," Maddie whispered, running a hand along the peeling wallpaper.205Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNKrvhJe2dQ
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.205Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡD5WgXri1wW
"A Bible?" she murmured.205Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNKcvpvgSOW
Nick, who had been rummaging through a nearby cabinet, glanced over. "Weird place to leave it."205Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXeslhpL8Hl
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.205Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCm8EVh4gN0
Nick bent down and picked it up. His expression shifted from confusion to shock as he turned the picture toward Chrissy.205Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuNjSRl7rfc
"Uh... is this you?"205Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrvEWF2HGkl
Chrissy frowned, reaching for it. But the moment she saw the image, her breath hitched.205Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2HuNnaaQil
The woman in the photograph wasn't her. And yet... she could have been.205Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsgK1ASlq9C
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.205Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGPvabc36N6
Chrissy turned the photo over. Scribbled on the back, barely legible, were the letters: S & J.205Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmD30k0iBfL
Maddie peered over her shoulder. "Who's 'S & J'?"205Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLT7EW8PvWW
Chrissy didn't answer. Her heart pounded as she stared at the image, the lighthouse's eerie silence pressing in around them.205Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ52RlUhdEsh
She wasn't sure what she'd been hoping to find here. But this... this was something more.205Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7aaZHMy85K
Something personal.205Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBiBIuCACe1
Something unsettling.205Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhhZOaHqDhY
And she had no idea what it meant. 205Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9UenyNb0Fi
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.205Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYupb00EBtL
Why did she look like her?205Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡb18HLfRpqW
Why did she feel like the lighthouse was calling her?205Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpbOk7th81Y
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.205Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQQReRs3PEs
Like someone was watching.205Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡABxo0m1MIr
She sat up quickly, heart pounding, and forced herself to look outside. Nothing. Just the trees swaying in the wind.205Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡr7YjCBAxn3
Still, she couldn't shake the unease.205Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQj2zbWFyjY
Tomorrow, she'd tell Nick.205Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡijmyO6DvpA
Maybe then, they'd figure out what this all meant.205Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡty32z4wx4V
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.205Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBrgc34QTHI
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.205Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwDrK0P4h0c
Nick was already there when she arrived, standing near the water's edge, absently tossing small rocks into the surf.205Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHS82eCFaAp
"Hey," she called, pulling her bag higher on her shoulder.205Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAgHAw12XCd
Nick turned, giving her a once-over like he was checking for something. Weird.205Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoMv8qNJfB5
"Hey," he said. "You good?"205Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbxkB2Kee8S
She hesitated. Should I even say anything? It was probably nothing. Just her mind playing tricks on her. But then again...205Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgzkKnKW2jm
"I don't know," she admitted. "Last night, I had this weird feeling. Like I was being watched."205Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡD8RBIsXWzA
That got his attention. He straightened, his easygoing expression shifting to something more serious. "Watched?"205Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7fwCyw7PMK
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."205Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡevviKeUjck
Nick's jaw tightened slightly, and his gaze flicked past her, scanning the area as if expecting to catch someone lurking in the dunes.205Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMdkX30TXqw
"You see anything?" he asked, his voice quieter now.
"No. Just felt it."205Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡphPCv7PHtl
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?"205Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsHTxSKxzIy
Chrissy shrugged. "I mean, I think so."205Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3CkldX6AKO
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?"205Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtmniwLey8s
"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."205Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZeuKYaG0Za
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.205Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlvqpI6fXEI
Maybe she had imagined it.205Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmNlpUF2MY5
But if that was true... why did Nick look like he wasn't so sure?205Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡl7vGj7Q1aW
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