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.115Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwXb9tyhxKa
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.115Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOekIRI58zd
"Finally," Maddie teased as Chrissy dropped onto the sand. "We were about to send a search party."115Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡszYWIz63N7
Chrissy rolled her eyes, catching her breath. "Overslept." She reached for the book. "Anything interesting?"115Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmvAQT6YvIo
Maddie's eyes gleamed. "More than interesting. Listen to this." She cleared her throat and read aloud:115Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIGp59MwcBw
"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."115Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9Ldiu7EsrG
Chrissy shivered despite the warm breeze. "Sounds like the lighthouse story."115Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTBlaKMaDSv
Nick nodded. "The townspeople thought she was a mermaid. That's why they wanted the lighthouse keeper to give her up."115Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvMh3E0gpoU
Maddie snapped the book shut. "And that means we need to go to the lighthouse."115Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOQw6w3F0Ph
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.115Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHQxFAahh4t
"We have to," she said, surprising even herself. "If there are answers, they're there."115Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwqc5LUwI8F
Nick sighed. "I was afraid you'd say that."115Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡm4XE9rahT1
The Lighthouse Exploration115Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFtlUkIYZzO
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.115Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzwznMS0I8X
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.115Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBRodDyPODR
"This place is straight-up haunted," Maddie whispered, running a hand along the peeling wallpaper.115Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡx0EOLTLXcQ
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.115Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRAutrB3ZBi
"A Bible?" she murmured.115Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiYBT4Nijht
Nick, who had been rummaging through a nearby cabinet, glanced over. "Weird place to leave it."115Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡg7nhmgwUdW
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.115Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡB3rMOTeGxT
Nick bent down and picked it up. His expression shifted from confusion to shock as he turned the picture toward Chrissy.115Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡazv5iEmKIc
"Uh... is this you?"115Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTz0sJUAZHA
Chrissy frowned, reaching for it. But the moment she saw the image, her breath hitched.115Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQpzG799vkn
The woman in the photograph wasn't her. And yet... she could have been.115Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUeG0S1F5kg
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.115Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYIGTiVGP83
Chrissy turned the photo over. Scribbled on the back, barely legible, were the letters: S & J.115Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwdXFsOxLQj
Maddie peered over her shoulder. "Who's 'S & J'?"115Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJMto5y8U5D
Chrissy didn't answer. Her heart pounded as she stared at the image, the lighthouse's eerie silence pressing in around them.115Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnfuMhIdXK6
She wasn't sure what she'd been hoping to find here. But this... this was something more.115Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYrcmb7pOfm
Something personal.115Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiLH5BrHjIp
Something unsettling.115Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZyyE1QSmbs
And she had no idea what it meant. 115Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ437Gmk9GIg
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.115Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYvcZ6i6S3u
Why did she look like her?115Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIJsM0HUZc1
Why did she feel like the lighthouse was calling her?115Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwvlue4fHWF
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.115Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDcCnL4ZCGf
Like someone was watching.115Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNCPySDDeRK
She sat up quickly, heart pounding, and forced herself to look outside. Nothing. Just the trees swaying in the wind.115Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2QI6WAviKE
Still, she couldn't shake the unease.115Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUvMJFG4rLo
Tomorrow, she'd tell Nick.115Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡX3cTarN0MC
Maybe then, they'd figure out what this all meant.115Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9aoYKrAbSb
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.115Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzpXOwbgCB0
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.115Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkFk5QJX1dO
Nick was already there when she arrived, standing near the water's edge, absently tossing small rocks into the surf.115Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5RScsyIaBO
"Hey," she called, pulling her bag higher on her shoulder.115Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡF0wpAkyWbd
Nick turned, giving her a once-over like he was checking for something. Weird.115Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLOaO1koqN1
"Hey," he said. "You good?"115Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAD5P6lLVh0
She hesitated. Should I even say anything? It was probably nothing. Just her mind playing tricks on her. But then again...115Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0qrJKhbh8x
"I don't know," she admitted. "Last night, I had this weird feeling. Like I was being watched."115Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxwM4q6a7WL
That got his attention. He straightened, his easygoing expression shifting to something more serious. "Watched?"115Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6GyBDfi80V
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."115Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ58lGvCgJzd
Nick's jaw tightened slightly, and his gaze flicked past her, scanning the area as if expecting to catch someone lurking in the dunes.115Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCwY2QKD4zX
"You see anything?" he asked, his voice quieter now.
"No. Just felt it."115Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaQ0UteRT9g
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?"115Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMHtgygTu1C
Chrissy shrugged. "I mean, I think so."115Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWCBEDlqPmy
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?"115Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4OVBDtFh8w
"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."115Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKU82QGV44K
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.115Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡigsEslCZGc
Maybe she had imagined it.115Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3Bc354zQEX
But if that was true... why did Nick look like he wasn't so sure?115Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZeY63Zwd9e
