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.105Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzGuhgkrlgn
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.105Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLwLdBABqWG
"Finally," Maddie teased as Chrissy dropped onto the sand. "We were about to send a search party."105Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUwPz0PDGm9
Chrissy rolled her eyes, catching her breath. "Overslept." She reached for the book. "Anything interesting?"105Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ83zfM6Jb8O
Maddie's eyes gleamed. "More than interesting. Listen to this." She cleared her throat and read aloud:105Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBZHlGn9QPh
"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."105Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSOXwYsnXmW
Chrissy shivered despite the warm breeze. "Sounds like the lighthouse story."105Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1TijNJrHjl
Nick nodded. "The townspeople thought she was a mermaid. That's why they wanted the lighthouse keeper to give her up."105Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdMdqcOVe4g
Maddie snapped the book shut. "And that means we need to go to the lighthouse."105Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQixjjcQhrI
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.105Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡA6a01YBcgA
"We have to," she said, surprising even herself. "If there are answers, they're there."105Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5BJDPs6VCO
Nick sighed. "I was afraid you'd say that."105Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgWv3jAS0O8
The Lighthouse Exploration105Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmqupMGDtnM
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.105Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMztST3eKxf
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.105Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbS7yFQ10g1
"This place is straight-up haunted," Maddie whispered, running a hand along the peeling wallpaper.105Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbX0yajihvk
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.105Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡS3zgud2pB7
"A Bible?" she murmured.105Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJp2IUgeBEe
Nick, who had been rummaging through a nearby cabinet, glanced over. "Weird place to leave it."105Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxEunKKJjwN
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.105Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkcFo8kYI7m
Nick bent down and picked it up. His expression shifted from confusion to shock as he turned the picture toward Chrissy.105Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsVQpJR1Ae2
"Uh... is this you?"105Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiMYURHm0xt
Chrissy frowned, reaching for it. But the moment she saw the image, her breath hitched.105Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ33eCvhHpqP
The woman in the photograph wasn't her. And yet... she could have been.105Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdw2J5Iwrtr
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.105Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEPFnzhu0nX
Chrissy turned the photo over. Scribbled on the back, barely legible, were the letters: S & J.105Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHDKPxexKJS
Maddie peered over her shoulder. "Who's 'S & J'?"105Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqQrLpPDJw2
Chrissy didn't answer. Her heart pounded as she stared at the image, the lighthouse's eerie silence pressing in around them.105Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4A39cuZnRs
She wasn't sure what she'd been hoping to find here. But this... this was something more.105Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEKkd3gfLMd
Something personal.105Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡloVeSf3Z1G
Something unsettling.105Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8RLr5eZOrt
And she had no idea what it meant. 105Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeUKNKCNb1G
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.105Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡj4BtkhHXjf
Why did she look like her?105Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyEzR9gXiMW
Why did she feel like the lighthouse was calling her?105Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpNVzIQ6sZh
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.105Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkgtSidBEkw
Like someone was watching.105Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSXWkSnAOY6
She sat up quickly, heart pounding, and forced herself to look outside. Nothing. Just the trees swaying in the wind.105Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡb21vz8ILcJ
Still, she couldn't shake the unease.105Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPBa8ybAGNA
Tomorrow, she'd tell Nick.105Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡceb1ahSQRB
Maybe then, they'd figure out what this all meant.105Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPV0PTXtVBb
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.105Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡays6jibZOL
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.105Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIjKmmlj7Rw
Nick was already there when she arrived, standing near the water's edge, absently tossing small rocks into the surf.105Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMXKesM7zys
"Hey," she called, pulling her bag higher on her shoulder.105Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlZWeTZnGph
Nick turned, giving her a once-over like he was checking for something. Weird.105Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYIfnDRJFAA
"Hey," he said. "You good?"105Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCxfEywMkkg
She hesitated. Should I even say anything? It was probably nothing. Just her mind playing tricks on her. But then again...105Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNeWqRLtfes
"I don't know," she admitted. "Last night, I had this weird feeling. Like I was being watched."105Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQKHPHH8uxm
That got his attention. He straightened, his easygoing expression shifting to something more serious. "Watched?"105Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9FC0LMWk47
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."105Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRys8zn8htL
Nick's jaw tightened slightly, and his gaze flicked past her, scanning the area as if expecting to catch someone lurking in the dunes.105Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfMlyVXl6Kp
"You see anything?" he asked, his voice quieter now.
"No. Just felt it."105Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkOq0pxPTFo
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?"105Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ06F8uHAFLj
Chrissy shrugged. "I mean, I think so."105Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBNiyU9XtUk
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?"105Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkBVgPWDyzj
"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."105Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHETmeXooFP
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.105Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWGwqO5OLD8
Maybe she had imagined it.105Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6OJNuBcA5r
But if that was true... why did Nick look like he wasn't so sure?105Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfFnWggmQZp
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