Chapter 4: Echoes of the Past
The scent of fresh coffee and baked muffins filled the air as Chrissy stepped into the Book Nook. The cozy shop was quiet this morning, a few locals scattered at tables flipping through books. At a corner booth near the window, Maddie and Lacy were already waiting, a steaming cup of coffee and a blueberry muffin set out for Chrissy.192Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqVMn7x0Zbz
"Alright," Maddie said, leaning forward as Chrissy slid into the seat. "What happened last night? You said you felt like you were being watched?"192Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8Ou5lN96Hz
Chrissy wrapped her hands around the warm coffee cup, her fingers tightening slightly. "I don't know if I was just imagining things, but after I got home, I kept looking at that photograph." She hesitated, her voice lowering. "And I swear... I felt something. Like someone was there, watching me."192Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡp7YSqcJjgy
Lacy's eyes lit up with intrigue. "That's classic ghost story material. A connection to the past, an old legend, mysterious signs—it all fits."192Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6Xe78kRfrA
Nick, who had arrived just as she said that, scoffed. "Or someone's actually watching her, and that's a real problem." His tone was serious, and he glanced out the shop window like he expected to see someone lurking.192Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0PtG7nzBBg
Chrissy sighed. "I don't know what to think. But I know one thing—there's something more to that lighthouse, to this whole legend."192Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUsIMftI8g5
Before Maddie could respond, the bell above the door jingled, and an older man stepped inside, carrying a small stack of books.192Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5tOuQCgdDY
Chrissy immediately recognized him.192Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZVjJAiZrBb
The historian.192Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPNArBnaNF0
She barely had time to process his presence before he turned—and froze. His eyes locked onto her, his grip on the books tightening.192Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0XtD9RYjF2
For a long second, no one spoke.192Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlnIR03BmQA
Then, as if snapping out of a daze, the historian spun toward the counter, but in his rush, he dropped the books. The sound echoed through the quiet shop.192Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtVNv1Vns4j
Maddie immediately jumped up to help, bending down to pick up the scattered books. "Here, let me—"192Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAqm89bYMrC
"I've got it," the historian snapped, snatching them up before she could touch them. His voice was tight, his movements stiff.192Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsq8b0KNwon
Maddie frowned, taken aback by his rudeness, but before anyone could say anything else, he muttered a hurried "Excuse me" and strode out the door, nearly knocking into a display on his way out.192Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡishaA0JJjB
They all watched him go.192Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuGiFPp4Qke
"Well, that wasn't weird at all," Maddie muttered, brushing dust from her hands.192Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6IBLWGGdpC
Chrissy stayed quiet, replaying the way he had looked at her—like he had seen a ghost.192Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡx5gKYhc5cN
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The encounter with the historian left Chrissy restless. She needed answers.192Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrrWpTMsSCn
Lacy helped them gather a stack of old newspapers, genealogy records, and even a few yearbooks from the town's archives, hoping they could find anything related to the lighthouse keeper, the historian, or the mysterious woman in the photograph.192Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡktLHrHJfFf
Flipping through a yearbook from decades ago, Maddie suddenly stopped. "Wait."192Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcuOpr3cele
Chrissy and Nick leaned in.192Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzYNmy4OvGR
Maddie pointed to a black-and-white photo of a group of boys sitting at a long table in what looked like a school library. Underneath the image, a caption listed their names.192Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzHCCDXaBP7
One stood out immediately.192Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzJeoajjPWv
James Whitaker.192Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡC0j6bZny8S
Nick's eyes widened. "That's the lighthouse keeper."192Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡc0ZTnW3heD
But it was the boy next to him that sent a chill down Chrissy's spine. He was younger, but the resemblance was clear.192Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtBJ8ZmXjXo
"That's him," she whispered. "That's the historian."192Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbKJZQCFQ2N
The name beneath the boy's image read: Nathaniel Whitaker.192Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡk5uE0udisX
"They're brothers," Maddie murmured.192Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6RW7GJYXS4
Chrissy leaned back in her chair, her mind racing. The historian—Nathaniel—was directly connected to the lighthouse. He had to know something.192Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkGoZi7kpUj
"We need to talk to him," Nick said.192Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtX4aFzGutN
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Tracking Nathaniel down wasn't difficult. After asking around town, they learned he worked at an antique shop near the harbor, one that specialized in shipwreck artifacts.192Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡL0Ihm541aI
When they arrived, the shop was dimly lit, the air thick with the scent of salt and old wood. Glass cases displayed rusted coins, compasses crusted with years of sea decay, and delicate shells that looked almost too perfect to be real.192Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkpOYJlvOfD
But it was the centerpiece that caught Chrissy's attention.192Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPM757xjMHR
A small, metal replica of the lighthouse. Rusted and aged, it sat on a wooden shelf, standing no taller than a foot. But despite its worn condition, there was something strikingly familiar about it.192Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6EL07cr6xG
"You interested in that?"192Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbhgbfRvhoI
Chrissy turned to find Nathaniel standing behind the counter, watching her. His voice was unreadable, carefully neutral.192Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBhvmhUcuYp
Chrissy hesitated, then pointed to the lighthouse replica. "That belonged to your brother, didn't it?"192Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7gvIO8avF9
A flicker of something crossed his face, but it was gone in an instant.192Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiuHPbgDvKr
"I restore antiques," he said curtly. "It's just an old piece."192Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡo74TFm57e0
Nick crossed his arms. "It looks exactly like the lighthouse James worked at."192Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGzo0OrpOcf
Nathaniel ignored him.192Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ26QcZIRTmu
Chrissy reached into her bag, pulling out the photograph from the lighthouse. She turned it toward him, pointing at the necklace around the woman's neck. "Do you know anything about this?"192Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9tb41LvTyG
Nathaniel barely looked at it before replying, "No."192Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTObppPq1dS
Chrissy narrowed her eyes. "You didn't even—"192Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQRlo4Yt1PK
"I said no." His tone was sharp now, final.192Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0caZuQBmnh
Maddie raised an eyebrow. "You sure? You look like you've seen that necklace before."192Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNvHqfEtpRV
Nathaniel's jaw tightened. For a long moment, it looked like he might say something else—but then he turned away. "If that's all, I have work to do."192Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3we1QVkgJA
It was clear the conversation was over.192Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvLOEY7nEFu
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The three of them left the shop, frustration heavy in the air.192Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgHV4xWyFSG
"He knows something," Nick muttered.192Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6jfX1fMm5y
"Obviously," Maddie said. "But he's not going to just tell us."192Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlj8hVqFzng
Chrissy was quiet. She could still see the flicker of recognition in Nathaniel's expression when he looked at the photo. He knew more than he was letting on.192Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWlTLdnbcl7
And she was going to find out what.192Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPa9ba62YaC
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That evening, Nick walked Chrissy home, the quiet sounds of the ocean in the distance. The night air was cool, carrying the salty breeze through the trees.192Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNgLacxUOMO
Nick was still tense from earlier, his eyes scanning the area.192Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhQLUXyaH8h
"You okay?" Chrissy asked.192Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQZYfME2Wdl
"Just making sure no one followed us."192Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBhN8j367MU
Chrissy rolled her eyes. "Nick, I don't think—"192Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡORSRebxTLw
Then he stopped.192Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0pe7iHgeBE
His hand instinctively reached out, gently grabbing her arm. "Wait."192Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvAaEsL9zPq
Chrissy froze, following his gaze toward the trees lining the road.192Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXdPz9QwMLz
There, just beyond the treeline, a shadow moved. A figure—just barely visible in the darkness.192Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoZ8zREG3vm
Nick took a step forward, his body shifting slightly in front of Chrissy. "Hey!" he called out.192Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjWgL1EZCip
But before he could get any closer, the shadow disappeared.192Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9YdNjJwD30
Gone.192Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJdWIKpt5jX
Nick didn't move for a long moment, his jaw clenched.192Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfEIdSS5bf0
Chrissy swallowed hard. "Did you see who it was?"192Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUTqtkXiD6s
"No," he admitted, his voice low. "But someone was there."192Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiD6K1vx0Dh
A shiver ran down Chrissy's spine.192Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvHiK4TMCgR
Nick exhaled sharply. "Let's get you inside."192Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfTLFbzbCp3
As they reached her front door, Chrissy cast one last glance at the woods.192Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡw75vxmUA2f
The feeling of being watched hadn't gone away.192Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMdS4MmNVDN
And she had a terrible feeling...192Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNWcdb2qx43
It was only just beginning.192Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVofD9YR3Qx
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