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.104Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCgAzwWeejI
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.104Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5eoaiYGzVs
"Finally," Maddie teased as Chrissy dropped onto the sand. "We were about to send a search party."104Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLl5tQohksX
Chrissy rolled her eyes, catching her breath. "Overslept." She reached for the book. "Anything interesting?"104Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVr5Pz3nQcv
Maddie's eyes gleamed. "More than interesting. Listen to this." She cleared her throat and read aloud:104Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgAECGzQdQH
"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."104Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2EdpuhvI9o
Chrissy shivered despite the warm breeze. "Sounds like the lighthouse story."104Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡowlyoHDUNw
Nick nodded. "The townspeople thought she was a mermaid. That's why they wanted the lighthouse keeper to give her up."104Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQas9OQSkhW
Maddie snapped the book shut. "And that means we need to go to the lighthouse."104Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbpxpdxkbxf
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.104Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyOPbxG1Eld
"We have to," she said, surprising even herself. "If there are answers, they're there."104Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZEfuxhXmnW
Nick sighed. "I was afraid you'd say that."104Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjylkS7COMb
The Lighthouse Exploration104Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4aJwB9Mjmy
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.104Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTaWPB64g3f
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.104Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZAWfc8YmJf
"This place is straight-up haunted," Maddie whispered, running a hand along the peeling wallpaper.104Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjOXqmjdKM6
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.104Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBAe9PvJMrX
"A Bible?" she murmured.104Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUj0Aurr2D8
Nick, who had been rummaging through a nearby cabinet, glanced over. "Weird place to leave it."104Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRGkmhgJa6B
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.104Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDaElnCy5KI
Nick bent down and picked it up. His expression shifted from confusion to shock as he turned the picture toward Chrissy.104Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjsamQTQWmD
"Uh... is this you?"104Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡt1zKDaOeTp
Chrissy frowned, reaching for it. But the moment she saw the image, her breath hitched.104Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlSLBMtpdER
The woman in the photograph wasn't her. And yet... she could have been.104Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJlHLAS77Pf
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.104Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡx6i9VegbIw
Chrissy turned the photo over. Scribbled on the back, barely legible, were the letters: S & J.104Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwTkkG3jfmQ
Maddie peered over her shoulder. "Who's 'S & J'?"104Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡri9orn0ULX
Chrissy didn't answer. Her heart pounded as she stared at the image, the lighthouse's eerie silence pressing in around them.104Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZaNEwVPHkE
She wasn't sure what she'd been hoping to find here. But this... this was something more.104Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCAzQU0DAk9
Something personal.104Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfELIRBExfL
Something unsettling.104Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPgcrG9EKTx
And she had no idea what it meant. 104Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9GLVRndS2Y
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.104Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡn0gflRdRZ7
Why did she look like her?104Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3KzF7lDimH
Why did she feel like the lighthouse was calling her?104Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUf7AfwRJX0
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.104Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPGVv0wjMrb
Like someone was watching.104Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtp3CKFrctC
She sat up quickly, heart pounding, and forced herself to look outside. Nothing. Just the trees swaying in the wind.104Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrlcMwtQaIa
Still, she couldn't shake the unease.104Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJRCWwfclx0
Tomorrow, she'd tell Nick.104Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6DvaVpOdPy
Maybe then, they'd figure out what this all meant.104Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsfkTfZNrhV
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.104Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIF6jyD24mv
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.104Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVWM9yAJavp
Nick was already there when she arrived, standing near the water's edge, absently tossing small rocks into the surf.104Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1JIOGkrLkO
"Hey," she called, pulling her bag higher on her shoulder.104Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHDLbm8Usf8
Nick turned, giving her a once-over like he was checking for something. Weird.104Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSQUJlzMzV0
"Hey," he said. "You good?"104Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLfIow8UISG
She hesitated. Should I even say anything? It was probably nothing. Just her mind playing tricks on her. But then again...104Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6SwrfFqc9M
"I don't know," she admitted. "Last night, I had this weird feeling. Like I was being watched."104Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYj9KUny8oH
That got his attention. He straightened, his easygoing expression shifting to something more serious. "Watched?"104Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAJRm15ACRO
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."104Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPsfpXu4P59
Nick's jaw tightened slightly, and his gaze flicked past her, scanning the area as if expecting to catch someone lurking in the dunes.104Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡr7wg48Oyza
"You see anything?" he asked, his voice quieter now.
"No. Just felt it."104Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkCCaeqiq3S
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?"104Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPWOgYXgu5j
Chrissy shrugged. "I mean, I think so."104Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlQFk2o6bzH
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?"104Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxRQ3zxT9gT
"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."104Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzoxcNUFq4q
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.104Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡA96EzoQSOo
Maybe she had imagined it.104Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8SIDsR7fOM
But if that was true... why did Nick look like he wasn't so sure?104Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhDu1DjoXQF
