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.44Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8vYiLczyEJ
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.44Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡy9pxOmLNC0
"Finally," Maddie teased as Chrissy dropped onto the sand. "We were about to send a search party."44Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQSNhBr9oZY
Chrissy rolled her eyes, catching her breath. "Overslept." She reached for the book. "Anything interesting?"44Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcAiKy34h8r
Maddie's eyes gleamed. "More than interesting. Listen to this." She cleared her throat and read aloud:44Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡas1mGBHc06
"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."44Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaHv695HejH
Chrissy shivered despite the warm breeze. "Sounds like the lighthouse story."44Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡE67TA2ZGoe
Nick nodded. "The townspeople thought she was a mermaid. That's why they wanted the lighthouse keeper to give her up."44Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0H5Jv7QM2w
Maddie snapped the book shut. "And that means we need to go to the lighthouse."44Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4iKEBgcnPn
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.44Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡELdVqvzWvW
"We have to," she said, surprising even herself. "If there are answers, they're there."44Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeStLhSpPvH
Nick sighed. "I was afraid you'd say that."44Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9wfBJNEvS8
The Lighthouse Exploration44Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTs0pHAcbFL
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.44Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡouzyVnBpFI
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.44Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡotQfgy6HIe
"This place is straight-up haunted," Maddie whispered, running a hand along the peeling wallpaper.44Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEcZE47YZpy
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.44Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgjdkx5Z4Gn
"A Bible?" she murmured.44Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAE1Lc2u0LE
Nick, who had been rummaging through a nearby cabinet, glanced over. "Weird place to leave it."44Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpYqubvurpJ
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.44Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡj1yBWfs58Q
Nick bent down and picked it up. His expression shifted from confusion to shock as he turned the picture toward Chrissy.44Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVuvDPayp0n
"Uh... is this you?"44Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡch0zu6rIzd
Chrissy frowned, reaching for it. But the moment she saw the image, her breath hitched.44Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJCq88IfZPF
The woman in the photograph wasn't her. And yet... she could have been.44Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡw9kWLIJemM
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.44Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡI2WJVSLoe6
Chrissy turned the photo over. Scribbled on the back, barely legible, were the letters: S & J.44Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSzmWxJPM2k
Maddie peered over her shoulder. "Who's 'S & J'?"44Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqJIyxJ9BvZ
Chrissy didn't answer. Her heart pounded as she stared at the image, the lighthouse's eerie silence pressing in around them.44Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYwk5HatyyL
She wasn't sure what she'd been hoping to find here. But this... this was something more.44Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbHmvNczp03
Something personal.44Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0mkDQgR9uv
Something unsettling.44Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQcr4h4Or8E
And she had no idea what it meant. 44Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGX7wF0gXQM
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.44Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCwX3mQzK3E
Why did she look like her?44Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZcxvvIpLeA
Why did she feel like the lighthouse was calling her?44Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxBtYy645d0
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.44Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0iXWzG9Vpz
Like someone was watching.44Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡP9wIEmaqSF
She sat up quickly, heart pounding, and forced herself to look outside. Nothing. Just the trees swaying in the wind.44Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqy8M7UpAox
Still, she couldn't shake the unease.44Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUdjYcXqqPA
Tomorrow, she'd tell Nick.44Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSGqYlUTD3I
Maybe then, they'd figure out what this all meant.44Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡddcxk4PzJd
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.44Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjdCrMTMRJg
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.44Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6UVXBkY06h
Nick was already there when she arrived, standing near the water's edge, absently tossing small rocks into the surf.44Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqt0jtz8CL8
"Hey," she called, pulling her bag higher on her shoulder.44Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyM8LSEigBM
Nick turned, giving her a once-over like he was checking for something. Weird.44Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOgrs8CjbPl
"Hey," he said. "You good?"44Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7ot2dEPHe0
She hesitated. Should I even say anything? It was probably nothing. Just her mind playing tricks on her. But then again...44Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDWoRphaGRm
"I don't know," she admitted. "Last night, I had this weird feeling. Like I was being watched."44Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJPp6N15Km0
That got his attention. He straightened, his easygoing expression shifting to something more serious. "Watched?"44Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEsWVQrM8Os
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."44Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSthdaq5M0p
Nick's jaw tightened slightly, and his gaze flicked past her, scanning the area as if expecting to catch someone lurking in the dunes.44Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDqvGNAAhdV
"You see anything?" he asked, his voice quieter now.
"No. Just felt it."44Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2sir7IOg7m
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?"44Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGjywF2I9o5
Chrissy shrugged. "I mean, I think so."44Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJfYHJMp70B
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?"44Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYxeVzDG1xg
"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."44Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡu1gqRCncLg
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.44Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKt2XtEa0x7
Maybe she had imagined it.44Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBV0hLQxlE1
But if that was true... why did Nick look like he wasn't so sure?44Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4i70cxh6wj
