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.161Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHGkNkn4U7x
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.161Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYROlqwl4Xs
"Finally," Maddie teased as Chrissy dropped onto the sand. "We were about to send a search party."161Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfGBx9sPNQW
Chrissy rolled her eyes, catching her breath. "Overslept." She reached for the book. "Anything interesting?"161Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvVDShegoc9
Maddie's eyes gleamed. "More than interesting. Listen to this." She cleared her throat and read aloud:161Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXC3JdnDGkI
"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."161Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1KxqrxFXpM
Chrissy shivered despite the warm breeze. "Sounds like the lighthouse story."161Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvhtEHJBQSS
Nick nodded. "The townspeople thought she was a mermaid. That's why they wanted the lighthouse keeper to give her up."161Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8Fg6L3dZ3I
Maddie snapped the book shut. "And that means we need to go to the lighthouse."161Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDq1PPeIgWh
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.161Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZ7HAXO4t99
"We have to," she said, surprising even herself. "If there are answers, they're there."161Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡp9uuDkHl1z
Nick sighed. "I was afraid you'd say that."161Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkgDD5O05Pa
The Lighthouse Exploration161Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAKN7RamMxh
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.161Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxWGsIBtBUy
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.161Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLclBaWjC44
"This place is straight-up haunted," Maddie whispered, running a hand along the peeling wallpaper.161Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRbYngO2pr6
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.161Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgF1pMcG9vF
"A Bible?" she murmured.161Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpOO8n6bJQy
Nick, who had been rummaging through a nearby cabinet, glanced over. "Weird place to leave it."161Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrE6P7BpWpM
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.161Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHXs7KuNL7d
Nick bent down and picked it up. His expression shifted from confusion to shock as he turned the picture toward Chrissy.161Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgzc6eL5jXz
"Uh... is this you?"161Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrJMenu7qiP
Chrissy frowned, reaching for it. But the moment she saw the image, her breath hitched.161Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡW11J1xEfs5
The woman in the photograph wasn't her. And yet... she could have been.161Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ80zZn3Wi1D
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.161Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡio13zpUq1W
Chrissy turned the photo over. Scribbled on the back, barely legible, were the letters: S & J.161Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8wemRxpDgk
Maddie peered over her shoulder. "Who's 'S & J'?"161Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLTZfs51oOF
Chrissy didn't answer. Her heart pounded as she stared at the image, the lighthouse's eerie silence pressing in around them.161Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzlQqnJXAxo
She wasn't sure what she'd been hoping to find here. But this... this was something more.161Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRtbnOOONhu
Something personal.161Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsmeaYTrus8
Something unsettling.161Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ86oaNsA6ut
And she had no idea what it meant. 161Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYHk7QUXBZ8
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.161Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgfiGxpGrdf
Why did she look like her?161Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcqAyxBqMGT
Why did she feel like the lighthouse was calling her?161Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡalIg4Ebw9D
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.161Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuaxAOBHrKn
Like someone was watching.161Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDy0FjrqrEF
She sat up quickly, heart pounding, and forced herself to look outside. Nothing. Just the trees swaying in the wind.161Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGXM1oxwBVN
Still, she couldn't shake the unease.161Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVtGFn6OMH4
Tomorrow, she'd tell Nick.161Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtlLxbv4Q9a
Maybe then, they'd figure out what this all meant.161Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkbzO44qw7Z
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.161Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ19hwAZ6AAi
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.161Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdYuaQMho24
Nick was already there when she arrived, standing near the water's edge, absently tossing small rocks into the surf.161Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡz1WA4QunJe
"Hey," she called, pulling her bag higher on her shoulder.161Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡU90zCUi3L0
Nick turned, giving her a once-over like he was checking for something. Weird.161Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnJXCpYZVCo
"Hey," he said. "You good?"161Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXBCv7L90u6
She hesitated. Should I even say anything? It was probably nothing. Just her mind playing tricks on her. But then again...161Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxgaCMndglS
"I don't know," she admitted. "Last night, I had this weird feeling. Like I was being watched."161Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡACGN1G7tyX
That got his attention. He straightened, his easygoing expression shifting to something more serious. "Watched?"161Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAfoNJ1xyl1
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."161Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqGEISLZAmA
Nick's jaw tightened slightly, and his gaze flicked past her, scanning the area as if expecting to catch someone lurking in the dunes.161Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNylNNujC0Q
"You see anything?" he asked, his voice quieter now.
"No. Just felt it."161Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡt4Q02nzIdx
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?"161Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUEDGXICRfU
Chrissy shrugged. "I mean, I think so."161Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPjGTNccr67
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?"161Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfBst42YPh1
"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."161Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYNZtI9BaCy
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.161Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEpej2Q0YxD
Maybe she had imagined it.161Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHirFSBtXe2
But if that was true... why did Nick look like he wasn't so sure?161Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡE91NmVoLwA
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