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.223Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdwrCc6IcH8
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.223Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4OjJDsZjBJ
"Finally," Maddie teased as Chrissy dropped onto the sand. "We were about to send a search party."223Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHrS9E24ZI5
Chrissy rolled her eyes, catching her breath. "Overslept." She reached for the book. "Anything interesting?"223Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1keCWWApGY
Maddie's eyes gleamed. "More than interesting. Listen to this." She cleared her throat and read aloud:223Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKa9AahiPN0
"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."223Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡt8DCpfUgZ0
Chrissy shivered despite the warm breeze. "Sounds like the lighthouse story."223Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrPLxJoPhoj
Nick nodded. "The townspeople thought she was a mermaid. That's why they wanted the lighthouse keeper to give her up."223Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRIBfBtOd7n
Maddie snapped the book shut. "And that means we need to go to the lighthouse."223Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYC7WJ86si6
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.223Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLpreXCDrU1
"We have to," she said, surprising even herself. "If there are answers, they're there."223Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7npusMujQB
Nick sighed. "I was afraid you'd say that."223Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ38JeIsqe3G
The Lighthouse Exploration223Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDMqC07afCA
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.223Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSzcASRpqZ6
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.223Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOtqikzkm2o
"This place is straight-up haunted," Maddie whispered, running a hand along the peeling wallpaper.223Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGzwbUt3UrM
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.223Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXSQNZW21Ls
"A Bible?" she murmured.223Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrTCB0rVV6c
Nick, who had been rummaging through a nearby cabinet, glanced over. "Weird place to leave it."223Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvUHHc9Pgw1
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.223Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMthr5RPntN
Nick bent down and picked it up. His expression shifted from confusion to shock as he turned the picture toward Chrissy.223Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLEIGDAfAF1
"Uh... is this you?"223Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCBODWq92sO
Chrissy frowned, reaching for it. But the moment she saw the image, her breath hitched.223Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGfN0p7TEKe
The woman in the photograph wasn't her. And yet... she could have been.223Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdi7kReQw47
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.223Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNg5MelL7iv
Chrissy turned the photo over. Scribbled on the back, barely legible, were the letters: S & J.223Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnlzQS3j9rI
Maddie peered over her shoulder. "Who's 'S & J'?"223Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1Og9LlCA26
Chrissy didn't answer. Her heart pounded as she stared at the image, the lighthouse's eerie silence pressing in around them.223Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIVcP2LtlW8
She wasn't sure what she'd been hoping to find here. But this... this was something more.223Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbN8ffPPRap
Something personal.223Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsU1dAAeTHt
Something unsettling.223Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLuobbDWUlr
And she had no idea what it meant. 223Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡE42ncFHHbD
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.223Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkK1Fni8ubV
Why did she look like her?223Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhoEnDtUzd6
Why did she feel like the lighthouse was calling her?223Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡe9dWyanatL
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.223Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6dY9lpjCj9
Like someone was watching.223Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAg1zjoNlgw
She sat up quickly, heart pounding, and forced herself to look outside. Nothing. Just the trees swaying in the wind.223Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡI7LZv6Pkti
Still, she couldn't shake the unease.223Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEuYkoG84OF
Tomorrow, she'd tell Nick.223Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2T6twwZWPS
Maybe then, they'd figure out what this all meant.223Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5M9tScziKY
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.223Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAlWRcYQiDU
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.223Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUuHA3t9xuT
Nick was already there when she arrived, standing near the water's edge, absently tossing small rocks into the surf.223Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmTYG7jkzDw
"Hey," she called, pulling her bag higher on her shoulder.223Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzAvHuwdhKm
Nick turned, giving her a once-over like he was checking for something. Weird.223Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ44xZQEamqh
"Hey," he said. "You good?"223Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJq7lkj2nQN
She hesitated. Should I even say anything? It was probably nothing. Just her mind playing tricks on her. But then again...223Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjZ4OWyDYKa
"I don't know," she admitted. "Last night, I had this weird feeling. Like I was being watched."223Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQZ7L9D6xO5
That got his attention. He straightened, his easygoing expression shifting to something more serious. "Watched?"223Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLkuPF2UCj8
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."223Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWcxEhR8CBj
Nick's jaw tightened slightly, and his gaze flicked past her, scanning the area as if expecting to catch someone lurking in the dunes.223Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOuwTepzwXk
"You see anything?" he asked, his voice quieter now.
"No. Just felt it."223Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwuJ9pgXkIO
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?"223Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6WEQhUx8W1
Chrissy shrugged. "I mean, I think so."223Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWt4mzuOKkP
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?"223Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡO4RMy1xrP4
"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."223Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡA9wUyvt7Gf
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.223Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoeYX2OFqPx
Maybe she had imagined it.223Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUcQEbQrdnr
But if that was true... why did Nick look like he wasn't so sure?223Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpOYqk6Ye9M
