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.255Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡv634HtToU9
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.255Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLL55evgOef
"Finally," Maddie teased as Chrissy dropped onto the sand. "We were about to send a search party."255Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡy6eIc1RV5w
Chrissy rolled her eyes, catching her breath. "Overslept." She reached for the book. "Anything interesting?"255Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbZmBdsLoEZ
Maddie's eyes gleamed. "More than interesting. Listen to this." She cleared her throat and read aloud:255Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5FW3D6AMdT
"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."255Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGMXPVQiPjp
Chrissy shivered despite the warm breeze. "Sounds like the lighthouse story."255Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIcHKgVWxgp
Nick nodded. "The townspeople thought she was a mermaid. That's why they wanted the lighthouse keeper to give her up."255Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCXLJbmwu0H
Maddie snapped the book shut. "And that means we need to go to the lighthouse."255Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYe2cG9cMfV
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.255Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjwcY5gN0kE
"We have to," she said, surprising even herself. "If there are answers, they're there."255Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1TsJRErjBH
Nick sighed. "I was afraid you'd say that."255Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfE4NR8vMYV
The Lighthouse Exploration255Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIbXqyQRgXt
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.255Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjQnBqKWPfo
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.255Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgNNsUiqpq3
"This place is straight-up haunted," Maddie whispered, running a hand along the peeling wallpaper.255Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtowF1mtiwG
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.255Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzBnxIXGX7m
"A Bible?" she murmured.255Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnafTlyZ6oa
Nick, who had been rummaging through a nearby cabinet, glanced over. "Weird place to leave it."255Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1yvrwrH4Lh
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.255Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjGIzJtHNlA
Nick bent down and picked it up. His expression shifted from confusion to shock as he turned the picture toward Chrissy.255Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiflu3Tmd6f
"Uh... is this you?"255Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbFgJkLJkiS
Chrissy frowned, reaching for it. But the moment she saw the image, her breath hitched.255Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6cOzRAfgW7
The woman in the photograph wasn't her. And yet... she could have been.255Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfBXVxlWSfM
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.255Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJTD7VRNd8F
Chrissy turned the photo over. Scribbled on the back, barely legible, were the letters: S & J.255Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhdeylTaW7S
Maddie peered over her shoulder. "Who's 'S & J'?"255Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpEHIVQOZrw
Chrissy didn't answer. Her heart pounded as she stared at the image, the lighthouse's eerie silence pressing in around them.255Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6TXIdq6pUa
She wasn't sure what she'd been hoping to find here. But this... this was something more.255Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1eWAp2qfqE
Something personal.255Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrW52MjTVck
Something unsettling.255Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwIv6HWKOvD
And she had no idea what it meant. 255Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkCgmVdSWZV
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.255Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrW0eOJijka
Why did she look like her?255Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡI5qgNLaHnE
Why did she feel like the lighthouse was calling her?255Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡX4SNoDRHK8
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.255Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKOhP1z8Rdw
Like someone was watching.255Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgE2qF5Hf4g
She sat up quickly, heart pounding, and forced herself to look outside. Nothing. Just the trees swaying in the wind.255Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡibGziWE8bf
Still, she couldn't shake the unease.255Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVigR9gs7bl
Tomorrow, she'd tell Nick.255Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEGxqx4fHtJ
Maybe then, they'd figure out what this all meant.255Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwnadXW3MII
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.255Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0a2wrr9Sk8
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.255Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfnxUbIXV2M
Nick was already there when she arrived, standing near the water's edge, absently tossing small rocks into the surf.255Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFZQre2hBxb
"Hey," she called, pulling her bag higher on her shoulder.255Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDiPWcMyY5J
Nick turned, giving her a once-over like he was checking for something. Weird.255Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡex9lojhMFz
"Hey," he said. "You good?"255Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKa76znBq5V
She hesitated. Should I even say anything? It was probably nothing. Just her mind playing tricks on her. But then again...255Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhp1l0v90HH
"I don't know," she admitted. "Last night, I had this weird feeling. Like I was being watched."255Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZzxOpi9u3r
That got his attention. He straightened, his easygoing expression shifting to something more serious. "Watched?"255Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡThb9XTtmnL
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."255Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUgETmFi2iy
Nick's jaw tightened slightly, and his gaze flicked past her, scanning the area as if expecting to catch someone lurking in the dunes.255Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzFvrZUtmM5
"You see anything?" he asked, his voice quieter now.
"No. Just felt it."255Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNxahyHUfOz
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?"255Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcjWpwrM3VI
Chrissy shrugged. "I mean, I think so."255Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNq2M7DPoSE
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?"255Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMwHtGyvTn9
"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."255Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ76lX36KHrW
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.255Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUOgefJz0IA
Maybe she had imagined it.255Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuGu98AAXmG
But if that was true... why did Nick look like he wasn't so sure?255Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcPETbbUdPJ
然後按「加至主畫面」