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.46Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡk3xiQWuF6f
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.46Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhrIc5ZI3eB
"Finally," Maddie teased as Chrissy dropped onto the sand. "We were about to send a search party."46Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkjW6wUlBUY
Chrissy rolled her eyes, catching her breath. "Overslept." She reached for the book. "Anything interesting?"46Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9QKUnXFC04
Maddie's eyes gleamed. "More than interesting. Listen to this." She cleared her throat and read aloud:46Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYbmu2gMN1i
"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."46Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsGdpqrubVS
Chrissy shivered despite the warm breeze. "Sounds like the lighthouse story."46Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8599MrxEiC
Nick nodded. "The townspeople thought she was a mermaid. That's why they wanted the lighthouse keeper to give her up."46Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡur5mZTLbYg
Maddie snapped the book shut. "And that means we need to go to the lighthouse."46Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4B7CuBtTCU
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.46Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTyQeBNFL5w
"We have to," she said, surprising even herself. "If there are answers, they're there."46Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmPEw6hBuRX
Nick sighed. "I was afraid you'd say that."46Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWEhl5VIAOG
The Lighthouse Exploration46Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡM6nnHmeZEe
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.46Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtm9c2pu0Za
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.46Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSJRKge3Mke
"This place is straight-up haunted," Maddie whispered, running a hand along the peeling wallpaper.46Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeg3sXutFHo
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.46Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9XlVWZ7kIH
"A Bible?" she murmured.46Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMWmxxeYNWQ
Nick, who had been rummaging through a nearby cabinet, glanced over. "Weird place to leave it."46Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVEz8lypAP2
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.46Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVmKP0oHrMw
Nick bent down and picked it up. His expression shifted from confusion to shock as he turned the picture toward Chrissy.46Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfeAaLxmXCc
"Uh... is this you?"46Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsgAg2VGNWj
Chrissy frowned, reaching for it. But the moment she saw the image, her breath hitched.46Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQW5gdHiJ81
The woman in the photograph wasn't her. And yet... she could have been.46Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡr1MnuGsYEA
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.46Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKQ7Srayfkb
Chrissy turned the photo over. Scribbled on the back, barely legible, were the letters: S & J.46Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡF1wZzw5nf6
Maddie peered over her shoulder. "Who's 'S & J'?"46Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGjiRkWVC3X
Chrissy didn't answer. Her heart pounded as she stared at the image, the lighthouse's eerie silence pressing in around them.46Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡa1Wxf90Z0h
She wasn't sure what she'd been hoping to find here. But this... this was something more.46Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9sDuN1oi8e
Something personal.46Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7CFKB2HG3G
Something unsettling.46Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzHP3iUrLr8
And she had no idea what it meant. 46Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsHUm0UopzJ
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.46Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRKuKszrRyd
Why did she look like her?46Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡN7xAVfAnRs
Why did she feel like the lighthouse was calling her?46Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡt1lHlXSzdo
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.46Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgOmUGFUV1I
Like someone was watching.46Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVLuIC9TZHT
She sat up quickly, heart pounding, and forced herself to look outside. Nothing. Just the trees swaying in the wind.46Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2Bu77za7zd
Still, she couldn't shake the unease.46Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTCohdiWuV6
Tomorrow, she'd tell Nick.46Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkbLSTsw1Hr
Maybe then, they'd figure out what this all meant.46Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡu1i6hZNe3v
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.46Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqVSfdJGMc4
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.46Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXzq1Lc0oRg
Nick was already there when she arrived, standing near the water's edge, absently tossing small rocks into the surf.46Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJTYD5ElBYy
"Hey," she called, pulling her bag higher on her shoulder.46Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2cxGSFx13S
Nick turned, giving her a once-over like he was checking for something. Weird.46Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡphbTb1W8f4
"Hey," he said. "You good?"46Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgmNmqIFUXP
She hesitated. Should I even say anything? It was probably nothing. Just her mind playing tricks on her. But then again...46Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9wc6XmrJ25
"I don't know," she admitted. "Last night, I had this weird feeling. Like I was being watched."46Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaVWSwUDV8t
That got his attention. He straightened, his easygoing expression shifting to something more serious. "Watched?"46Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0caTPE5p7f
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."46Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxGDJ9Fn3np
Nick's jaw tightened slightly, and his gaze flicked past her, scanning the area as if expecting to catch someone lurking in the dunes.46Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnebFy540fU
"You see anything?" he asked, his voice quieter now.
"No. Just felt it."46Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUPK7maqSXd
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?"46Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡA2uxtPcTPn
Chrissy shrugged. "I mean, I think so."46Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡs84KGWefM3
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?"46Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8qYl8K0jRN
"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."46Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrVW9W8snJX
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.46Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6wB8t6lWLo
Maybe she had imagined it.46Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡet8Jp5aXz9
But if that was true... why did Nick look like he wasn't so sure?46Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvtaADu0dlk
