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.55Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqn2QhUcUJx
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.55Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpA9655yh8r
"Finally," Maddie teased as Chrissy dropped onto the sand. "We were about to send a search party."55Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJP9JPa4is8
Chrissy rolled her eyes, catching her breath. "Overslept." She reached for the book. "Anything interesting?"55Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAjcXuAd243
Maddie's eyes gleamed. "More than interesting. Listen to this." She cleared her throat and read aloud:55Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSPYE8ACJzy
"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."55Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMNMZBYGt1O
Chrissy shivered despite the warm breeze. "Sounds like the lighthouse story."55Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKkeIW7il1g
Nick nodded. "The townspeople thought she was a mermaid. That's why they wanted the lighthouse keeper to give her up."55Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrt7uSu5SUF
Maddie snapped the book shut. "And that means we need to go to the lighthouse."55Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5jvFJD47Lv
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.55Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡARjiZSHLan
"We have to," she said, surprising even herself. "If there are answers, they're there."55Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrayI1rxMZV
Nick sighed. "I was afraid you'd say that."55Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPLrrGuMC5k
The Lighthouse Exploration55Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfFoVSlk3U1
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.55Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqrxn88lsEL
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.55Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4U3v5LXDCd
"This place is straight-up haunted," Maddie whispered, running a hand along the peeling wallpaper.55Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡM92QuYjbqt
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.55Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMvIA9lcpGx
"A Bible?" she murmured.55Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjHLvKw3hWW
Nick, who had been rummaging through a nearby cabinet, glanced over. "Weird place to leave it."55Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡI2a5W1wI7C
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.55Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHpVKizyX0V
Nick bent down and picked it up. His expression shifted from confusion to shock as he turned the picture toward Chrissy.55Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡR9oNxG5ftW
"Uh... is this you?"55Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHfKmuJJ4UE
Chrissy frowned, reaching for it. But the moment she saw the image, her breath hitched.55Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyLs0RhrFVw
The woman in the photograph wasn't her. And yet... she could have been.55Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7mDf1fw0Nt
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.55Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtWEp819aaj
Chrissy turned the photo over. Scribbled on the back, barely legible, were the letters: S & J.55Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyckret9H4b
Maddie peered over her shoulder. "Who's 'S & J'?"55Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmnW2aRmYQD
Chrissy didn't answer. Her heart pounded as she stared at the image, the lighthouse's eerie silence pressing in around them.55Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQFBHk6d9tO
She wasn't sure what she'd been hoping to find here. But this... this was something more.55Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbg7lqeriLc
Something personal.55Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlJ5WVMQ1u1
Something unsettling.55Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTbB0pIWK23
And she had no idea what it meant. 55Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNR6sCMnlEN
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.55Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmDJ9ZH7zyP
Why did she look like her?55Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡd2ztfbwd0x
Why did she feel like the lighthouse was calling her?55Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡN2C1uDnLup
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.55Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjdN0ysGH4b
Like someone was watching.55Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZqAS1gZ8Yp
She sat up quickly, heart pounding, and forced herself to look outside. Nothing. Just the trees swaying in the wind.55Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4JPMKanUFK
Still, she couldn't shake the unease.55Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpiIC80k2vS
Tomorrow, she'd tell Nick.55Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBGDI2Tb9B9
Maybe then, they'd figure out what this all meant.55Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOSoL89RrNw
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.55Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡI7FuSVcXKV
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.55Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeExIRQSyHy
Nick was already there when she arrived, standing near the water's edge, absently tossing small rocks into the surf.55Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrnEip2BaAG
"Hey," she called, pulling her bag higher on her shoulder.55Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkjpykQ3xkk
Nick turned, giving her a once-over like he was checking for something. Weird.55Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWeBY4F83yq
"Hey," he said. "You good?"55Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡE0Uun7Oaop
She hesitated. Should I even say anything? It was probably nothing. Just her mind playing tricks on her. But then again...55Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDTMSRJobAf
"I don't know," she admitted. "Last night, I had this weird feeling. Like I was being watched."55Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡS0hbYcsOIR
That got his attention. He straightened, his easygoing expression shifting to something more serious. "Watched?"55Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSnp9ouniCc
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."55Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhoRbavRSLw
Nick's jaw tightened slightly, and his gaze flicked past her, scanning the area as if expecting to catch someone lurking in the dunes.55Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlAVOFxeWGG
"You see anything?" he asked, his voice quieter now.
"No. Just felt it."55Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEp8mZ2YkHZ
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?"55Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡug7klTNnu3
Chrissy shrugged. "I mean, I think so."55Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjKmoQmdtvs
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?"55Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTKRwqIjuoh
"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."55Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDpK5xTxfhU
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.55Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbKVXLwMWC3
Maybe she had imagined it.55Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2OOaVUhC4O
But if that was true... why did Nick look like he wasn't so sure?55Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ127uBz33H2
