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.40Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTr0utbW5w8
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.40Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlY5wxZtzSb
"Finally," Maddie teased as Chrissy dropped onto the sand. "We were about to send a search party."40Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuRtA0w7KRu
Chrissy rolled her eyes, catching her breath. "Overslept." She reached for the book. "Anything interesting?"40Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡC7Jjzqx59r
Maddie's eyes gleamed. "More than interesting. Listen to this." She cleared her throat and read aloud:40Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1Dnca1aMiN
"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."40Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡk5kufDx0rJ
Chrissy shivered despite the warm breeze. "Sounds like the lighthouse story."40Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5fDNFlV38V
Nick nodded. "The townspeople thought she was a mermaid. That's why they wanted the lighthouse keeper to give her up."40Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡffdkVAInEQ
Maddie snapped the book shut. "And that means we need to go to the lighthouse."40Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWz6eeCmHS8
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.40Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAM5bQepPt0
"We have to," she said, surprising even herself. "If there are answers, they're there."40Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSuNkAhL4k9
Nick sighed. "I was afraid you'd say that."40Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4lMZIsDmwA
The Lighthouse Exploration40Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwEshXDYkk9
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.40Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡK3ovFSMXTy
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.40Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWfxwspgVj2
"This place is straight-up haunted," Maddie whispered, running a hand along the peeling wallpaper.40Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6oD6gRXZjb
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.40Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡs6ouTUiMcA
"A Bible?" she murmured.40Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3KjwwveZRX
Nick, who had been rummaging through a nearby cabinet, glanced over. "Weird place to leave it."40Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfsMJcgJnOu
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.40Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaVMZKBR3Jl
Nick bent down and picked it up. His expression shifted from confusion to shock as he turned the picture toward Chrissy.40Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡILULOAagEQ
"Uh... is this you?"40Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYFBer9EJuO
Chrissy frowned, reaching for it. But the moment she saw the image, her breath hitched.40Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTOaxHhU00D
The woman in the photograph wasn't her. And yet... she could have been.40Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡN5SieiphSM
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.40Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡt6jOau3pQK
Chrissy turned the photo over. Scribbled on the back, barely legible, were the letters: S & J.40Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡByhA8XkbVy
Maddie peered over her shoulder. "Who's 'S & J'?"40Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVH6scKaNTn
Chrissy didn't answer. Her heart pounded as she stared at the image, the lighthouse's eerie silence pressing in around them.40Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYceYVEHRX2
She wasn't sure what she'd been hoping to find here. But this... this was something more.40Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjUxX2M2ZQo
Something personal.40Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhK167HLAFd
Something unsettling.40Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFoBAqeTbcZ
And she had no idea what it meant. 40Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7f6H3S3EWd
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.40Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡp048O2eItz
Why did she look like her?40Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8XkGgYYrwT
Why did she feel like the lighthouse was calling her?40Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwZDr9XgGpd
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.40Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQ9RBXTgNru
Like someone was watching.40Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJwLAMaFYes
She sat up quickly, heart pounding, and forced herself to look outside. Nothing. Just the trees swaying in the wind.40Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7TgHGpgeTt
Still, she couldn't shake the unease.40Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡU0tUogjja6
Tomorrow, she'd tell Nick.40Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡl3LE1oJi30
Maybe then, they'd figure out what this all meant.40Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkGF4AOJN3Z
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.40Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPFafO0lIxN
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.40Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTWkwZQjE64
Nick was already there when she arrived, standing near the water's edge, absently tossing small rocks into the surf.40Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgvHsiHKwA6
"Hey," she called, pulling her bag higher on her shoulder.40Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHMTuDqohjS
Nick turned, giving her a once-over like he was checking for something. Weird.40Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2QkCLU0xx6
"Hey," he said. "You good?"40Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4Q6fCOkhe3
She hesitated. Should I even say anything? It was probably nothing. Just her mind playing tricks on her. But then again...40Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbrSVzSJ2gf
"I don't know," she admitted. "Last night, I had this weird feeling. Like I was being watched."40Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtzCxKjjQaQ
That got his attention. He straightened, his easygoing expression shifting to something more serious. "Watched?"40Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHMpaRoZDFS
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."40Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡufVrjAtg7k
Nick's jaw tightened slightly, and his gaze flicked past her, scanning the area as if expecting to catch someone lurking in the dunes.40Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAGOQrm99U5
"You see anything?" he asked, his voice quieter now.
"No. Just felt it."40Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVMjHABStXG
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?"40Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡb5FJa37Mgp
Chrissy shrugged. "I mean, I think so."40Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1GnuWE8jv8
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?"40Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpwWYv9Wd6E
"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."40Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdX2eUbMrZL
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.40Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNNLZP07zMX
Maybe she had imagined it.40Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYfbJF4J75x
But if that was true... why did Nick look like he wasn't so sure?40Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8sfoeNQz74
