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.263Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡi1weBtDiWY
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.263Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaXRAucN2XM
"Finally," Maddie teased as Chrissy dropped onto the sand. "We were about to send a search party."263Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZMvZCVcsb7
Chrissy rolled her eyes, catching her breath. "Overslept." She reached for the book. "Anything interesting?"263Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡH15IY339Oz
Maddie's eyes gleamed. "More than interesting. Listen to this." She cleared her throat and read aloud:263Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqI4Urdofs8
"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."263Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡT3MhdcgGLl
Chrissy shivered despite the warm breeze. "Sounds like the lighthouse story."263Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzoUqpGAWwg
Nick nodded. "The townspeople thought she was a mermaid. That's why they wanted the lighthouse keeper to give her up."263Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzH6DuxpAqU
Maddie snapped the book shut. "And that means we need to go to the lighthouse."263Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIemEbhrSEZ
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.263Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTWfkwjXraT
"We have to," she said, surprising even herself. "If there are answers, they're there."263Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtkU5RL5Uai
Nick sighed. "I was afraid you'd say that."263Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLC2jMVMJ0Y
The Lighthouse Exploration263Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ33dTLat0R1
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.263Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPP1a41kKLs
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.263Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLkxfPYFhWN
"This place is straight-up haunted," Maddie whispered, running a hand along the peeling wallpaper.263Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtJ69NEjzie
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.263Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlKa2mM0dB5
"A Bible?" she murmured.263Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfxbBd0xxjf
Nick, who had been rummaging through a nearby cabinet, glanced over. "Weird place to leave it."263Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ59OU300f0c
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.263Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ060ZFGTjlj
Nick bent down and picked it up. His expression shifted from confusion to shock as he turned the picture toward Chrissy.263Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ01Bgze2FFd
"Uh... is this you?"263Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSESESqKLYO
Chrissy frowned, reaching for it. But the moment she saw the image, her breath hitched.263Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNkzDJtIDT5
The woman in the photograph wasn't her. And yet... she could have been.263Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡD8mGKPbvAU
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.263Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHCuxUtjZ6v
Chrissy turned the photo over. Scribbled on the back, barely legible, were the letters: S & J.263Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLQMPErc5Ok
Maddie peered over her shoulder. "Who's 'S & J'?"263Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKoRRDaO6Ip
Chrissy didn't answer. Her heart pounded as she stared at the image, the lighthouse's eerie silence pressing in around them.263Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡl9tLJ7cahP
She wasn't sure what she'd been hoping to find here. But this... this was something more.263Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMIhrnbLwzQ
Something personal.263Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgQOgvyivrH
Something unsettling.263Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXXLnqqpw25
And she had no idea what it meant. 263Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLhQLzN3nZC
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.263Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡj4SX2yPkfd
Why did she look like her?263Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡq5hgqflGQI
Why did she feel like the lighthouse was calling her?263Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIB3YuNI0JN
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.263Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHuTULnMTUM
Like someone was watching.263Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡk3b2nc7N43
She sat up quickly, heart pounding, and forced herself to look outside. Nothing. Just the trees swaying in the wind.263Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡL2yuKUP3oA
Still, she couldn't shake the unease.263Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡG6x5QlRtzj
Tomorrow, she'd tell Nick.263Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoimddLUMrh
Maybe then, they'd figure out what this all meant.263Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsEJQhAqc7t
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.263Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeE0DVTaaUw
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.263Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡf7lBpa1rpM
Nick was already there when she arrived, standing near the water's edge, absently tossing small rocks into the surf.263Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMrKJFAAMD5
"Hey," she called, pulling her bag higher on her shoulder.263Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeW137Sv8o2
Nick turned, giving her a once-over like he was checking for something. Weird.263Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7bktVR3nHz
"Hey," he said. "You good?"263Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6QVHhT6WRn
She hesitated. Should I even say anything? It was probably nothing. Just her mind playing tricks on her. But then again...263Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTR6rcnM1fy
"I don't know," she admitted. "Last night, I had this weird feeling. Like I was being watched."263Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFSr8fN0K8j
That got his attention. He straightened, his easygoing expression shifting to something more serious. "Watched?"263Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDjtooICCDu
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."263Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVSNnQx4vGS
Nick's jaw tightened slightly, and his gaze flicked past her, scanning the area as if expecting to catch someone lurking in the dunes.263Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWpRheaX2D4
"You see anything?" he asked, his voice quieter now.
"No. Just felt it."263Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpGktl4P3eS
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?"263Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSkNNladBWA
Chrissy shrugged. "I mean, I think so."263Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrFVxfrRRKy
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?"263Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuzGYi6t00D
"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."263Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhzMYiRoueq
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.263Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvFydlYHJLe
Maybe she had imagined it.263Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkqSvmsuRPv
But if that was true... why did Nick look like he wasn't so sure?263Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpz2g7K5lc0
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