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.194Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhGEGGBPjnM
"Alright," Maddie said, leaning forward as Chrissy slid into the seat. "What happened last night? You said you felt like you were being watched?"194Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmOjUPji8Xo
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."194Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1wpkrUo0Lr
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."194Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡf06hZx5Dh5
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.194Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjQIeSRtSSU
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."194Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9oEysj8qWA
Before Maddie could respond, the bell above the door jingled, and an older man stepped inside, carrying a small stack of books.194Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvvE4ko8Uiz
Chrissy immediately recognized him.194Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡunIiFTGidm
The historian.194Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTjLyV5T8by
She barely had time to process his presence before he turned—and froze. His eyes locked onto her, his grip on the books tightening.194Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8nXpMSGHnQ
For a long second, no one spoke.194Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8ypdzyX6uG
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.194Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡe1lIE3jO1h
Maddie immediately jumped up to help, bending down to pick up the scattered books. "Here, let me—"194Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUmWluoMoro
"I've got it," the historian snapped, snatching them up before she could touch them. His voice was tight, his movements stiff.194Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoIkfaaR88z
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.194Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡobLDXuf8k3
They all watched him go.194Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2sfH3LZnYl
"Well, that wasn't weird at all," Maddie muttered, brushing dust from her hands.194Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkIYOhGdVic
Chrissy stayed quiet, replaying the way he had looked at her—like he had seen a ghost.194Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJrivvPAn5Y
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The encounter with the historian left Chrissy restless. She needed answers.194Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8hUdnXEVa7
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.194Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGqXAyokp3I
Flipping through a yearbook from decades ago, Maddie suddenly stopped. "Wait."194Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡM9ljSOjMJS
Chrissy and Nick leaned in.194Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ15YDTEvbD4
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.194Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEz8fI3B4H5
One stood out immediately.194Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZiSZKWrenR
James Whitaker.194Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrIBT2Vk1VT
Nick's eyes widened. "That's the lighthouse keeper."194Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXqlXlW9RYG
But it was the boy next to him that sent a chill down Chrissy's spine. He was younger, but the resemblance was clear.194Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3p5Peet5ni
"That's him," she whispered. "That's the historian."194Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHk1Zy217fI
The name beneath the boy's image read: Nathaniel Whitaker.194Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlYHkht9OM4
"They're brothers," Maddie murmured.194Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡINbm7JhdSi
Chrissy leaned back in her chair, her mind racing. The historian—Nathaniel—was directly connected to the lighthouse. He had to know something.194Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZ8vpQL15lg
"We need to talk to him," Nick said.194Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmynwE17ACb
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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.194Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFfM3W0m0pd
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.194Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSaD3HSksdq
But it was the centerpiece that caught Chrissy's attention.194Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZwHghaIfN1
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.194Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpaz99Sd44V
"You interested in that?"194Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdaJqDfn8fA
Chrissy turned to find Nathaniel standing behind the counter, watching her. His voice was unreadable, carefully neutral.194Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6ZuBGYbe9Y
Chrissy hesitated, then pointed to the lighthouse replica. "That belonged to your brother, didn't it?"194Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRac1OMacVJ
A flicker of something crossed his face, but it was gone in an instant.194Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZHFT6XmovB
"I restore antiques," he said curtly. "It's just an old piece."194Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6FOobXXfoi
Nick crossed his arms. "It looks exactly like the lighthouse James worked at."194Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡq2HkjD15e9
Nathaniel ignored him.194Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoFYGASwkLE
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?"194Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3dymZxof5u
Nathaniel barely looked at it before replying, "No."194Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTcsVBGNEGU
Chrissy narrowed her eyes. "You didn't even—"194Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4UO4JbRAZu
"I said no." His tone was sharp now, final.194Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVv1E3w47F6
Maddie raised an eyebrow. "You sure? You look like you've seen that necklace before."194Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfVWGcqfmpx
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."194Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRuJSDFtOAQ
It was clear the conversation was over.194Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlCz9wvpgSa
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The three of them left the shop, frustration heavy in the air.194Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9dBye7klTN
"He knows something," Nick muttered.194Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRDSPck8vF5
"Obviously," Maddie said. "But he's not going to just tell us."194Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTZzsvqdvLG
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.194Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyTehhm487c
And she was going to find out what.194Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFD9jKFWXQJ
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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.194Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcUbW3ck7BV
Nick was still tense from earlier, his eyes scanning the area.194Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrIIYViqFZR
"You okay?" Chrissy asked.194Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHGEoeYMgM3
"Just making sure no one followed us."194Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMoHbjVfCiq
Chrissy rolled her eyes. "Nick, I don't think—"194Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnRv8rygxAy
Then he stopped.194Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzXOTgip1e8
His hand instinctively reached out, gently grabbing her arm. "Wait."194Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjMv2wkWd8W
Chrissy froze, following his gaze toward the trees lining the road.194Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvHLP6rNpPD
There, just beyond the treeline, a shadow moved. A figure—just barely visible in the darkness.194Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZxHpzjSdr6
Nick took a step forward, his body shifting slightly in front of Chrissy. "Hey!" he called out.194Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyBVFrOxNnL
But before he could get any closer, the shadow disappeared.194Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsPy30DEo93
Gone.194Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKqGn1diHnZ
Nick didn't move for a long moment, his jaw clenched.194Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡohm4RCNjok
Chrissy swallowed hard. "Did you see who it was?"194Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvojhjSwKEm
"No," he admitted, his voice low. "But someone was there."194Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡe7NqjN7fmh
A shiver ran down Chrissy's spine.194Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcGlxHIKxW8
Nick exhaled sharply. "Let's get you inside."194Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKEOkChGzj8
As they reached her front door, Chrissy cast one last glance at the woods.194Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLuJcxlOli7
The feeling of being watched hadn't gone away.194Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjSPnVQ0Duc
And she had a terrible feeling...194Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWs7fkgU4Zc
It was only just beginning.194Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡv2K9OlUgqt
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