Chapter 4: Echoes of the Past
The scent of fresh coffee and baked muffins filled the air as Chrissy stepped into the Book Nook. The cozy shop was quiet this morning, a few locals scattered at tables flipping through books. At a corner booth near the window, Maddie and Lacy were already waiting, a steaming cup of coffee and a blueberry muffin set out for Chrissy.181Please respect copyright.PENANAcgatGVpzdd
"Alright," Maddie said, leaning forward as Chrissy slid into the seat. "What happened last night? You said you felt like you were being watched?"181Please respect copyright.PENANAkm5XagXDy5
Chrissy wrapped her hands around the warm coffee cup, her fingers tightening slightly. "I don't know if I was just imagining things, but after I got home, I kept looking at that photograph." She hesitated, her voice lowering. "And I swear... I felt something. Like someone was there, watching me."181Please respect copyright.PENANA0ArhPjoX4c
Lacy's eyes lit up with intrigue. "That's classic ghost story material. A connection to the past, an old legend, mysterious signs—it all fits."181Please respect copyright.PENANAkWrdPMbfo2
Nick, who had arrived just as she said that, scoffed. "Or someone's actually watching her, and that's a real problem." His tone was serious, and he glanced out the shop window like he expected to see someone lurking.181Please respect copyright.PENANA2dtVrYpyRP
Chrissy sighed. "I don't know what to think. But I know one thing—there's something more to that lighthouse, to this whole legend."181Please respect copyright.PENANALIZwKEGzsI
Before Maddie could respond, the bell above the door jingled, and an older man stepped inside, carrying a small stack of books.181Please respect copyright.PENANAdu0fyd6XCr
Chrissy immediately recognized him.181Please respect copyright.PENANAcMbOU9t3rp
The historian.181Please respect copyright.PENANAmV8MZRE5Wk
She barely had time to process his presence before he turned—and froze. His eyes locked onto her, his grip on the books tightening.181Please respect copyright.PENANAlx9YXX0H9E
For a long second, no one spoke.181Please respect copyright.PENANAdMXNb0YDtI
Then, as if snapping out of a daze, the historian spun toward the counter, but in his rush, he dropped the books. The sound echoed through the quiet shop.181Please respect copyright.PENANAuwHXC4cjmW
Maddie immediately jumped up to help, bending down to pick up the scattered books. "Here, let me—"181Please respect copyright.PENANAkTrTzAxYJN
"I've got it," the historian snapped, snatching them up before she could touch them. His voice was tight, his movements stiff.181Please respect copyright.PENANA17AnKk3fHg
Maddie frowned, taken aback by his rudeness, but before anyone could say anything else, he muttered a hurried "Excuse me" and strode out the door, nearly knocking into a display on his way out.181Please respect copyright.PENANAGI70A72KFX
They all watched him go.181Please respect copyright.PENANACVG0MJ4Fam
"Well, that wasn't weird at all," Maddie muttered, brushing dust from her hands.181Please respect copyright.PENANAKNwCpw3RZ5
Chrissy stayed quiet, replaying the way he had looked at her—like he had seen a ghost.181Please respect copyright.PENANArPWX3dM71P
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The encounter with the historian left Chrissy restless. She needed answers.181Please respect copyright.PENANAN3q3d4CHa6
Lacy helped them gather a stack of old newspapers, genealogy records, and even a few yearbooks from the town's archives, hoping they could find anything related to the lighthouse keeper, the historian, or the mysterious woman in the photograph.181Please respect copyright.PENANAlIzVJ4ZHyQ
Flipping through a yearbook from decades ago, Maddie suddenly stopped. "Wait."181Please respect copyright.PENANA70lqrMnQXb
Chrissy and Nick leaned in.181Please respect copyright.PENANAFOzFp7pCcI
Maddie pointed to a black-and-white photo of a group of boys sitting at a long table in what looked like a school library. Underneath the image, a caption listed their names.181Please respect copyright.PENANAugHx99ue44
One stood out immediately.181Please respect copyright.PENANAf7Yhrl6qB0
James Whitaker.181Please respect copyright.PENANAgwDVEE1Zjq
Nick's eyes widened. "That's the lighthouse keeper."181Please respect copyright.PENANA7xTU8f4KG6
But it was the boy next to him that sent a chill down Chrissy's spine. He was younger, but the resemblance was clear.181Please respect copyright.PENANAtwaRgQaWGc
"That's him," she whispered. "That's the historian."181Please respect copyright.PENANAsBS1T4PH35
The name beneath the boy's image read: Nathaniel Whitaker.181Please respect copyright.PENANATS1x7CDtc6
"They're brothers," Maddie murmured.181Please respect copyright.PENANAO1mqq6wsM8
Chrissy leaned back in her chair, her mind racing. The historian—Nathaniel—was directly connected to the lighthouse. He had to know something.181Please respect copyright.PENANAcRxw87wKyd
"We need to talk to him," Nick said.181Please respect copyright.PENANALJ2JnHETCQ
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Tracking Nathaniel down wasn't difficult. After asking around town, they learned he worked at an antique shop near the harbor, one that specialized in shipwreck artifacts.181Please respect copyright.PENANALEYuBDZ9Ci
When they arrived, the shop was dimly lit, the air thick with the scent of salt and old wood. Glass cases displayed rusted coins, compasses crusted with years of sea decay, and delicate shells that looked almost too perfect to be real.181Please respect copyright.PENANALznZsAWVQj
But it was the centerpiece that caught Chrissy's attention.181Please respect copyright.PENANAL44KGYs8xN
A small, metal replica of the lighthouse. Rusted and aged, it sat on a wooden shelf, standing no taller than a foot. But despite its worn condition, there was something strikingly familiar about it.181Please respect copyright.PENANA357lvBvDdy
"You interested in that?"181Please respect copyright.PENANA4T2bmED04j
Chrissy turned to find Nathaniel standing behind the counter, watching her. His voice was unreadable, carefully neutral.181Please respect copyright.PENANAt8bF1ipQWg
Chrissy hesitated, then pointed to the lighthouse replica. "That belonged to your brother, didn't it?"181Please respect copyright.PENANAQsrqxNXaPB
A flicker of something crossed his face, but it was gone in an instant.181Please respect copyright.PENANAjIrLxkuUlN
"I restore antiques," he said curtly. "It's just an old piece."181Please respect copyright.PENANAvuXVqJEbGu
Nick crossed his arms. "It looks exactly like the lighthouse James worked at."181Please respect copyright.PENANAB5dfDxaICB
Nathaniel ignored him.181Please respect copyright.PENANAlen4SWDNTT
Chrissy reached into her bag, pulling out the photograph from the lighthouse. She turned it toward him, pointing at the necklace around the woman's neck. "Do you know anything about this?"181Please respect copyright.PENANAF9KSCr1DxT
Nathaniel barely looked at it before replying, "No."181Please respect copyright.PENANAddvolPCQSe
Chrissy narrowed her eyes. "You didn't even—"181Please respect copyright.PENANAJCrfq2qv6l
"I said no." His tone was sharp now, final.181Please respect copyright.PENANAyMbZID7ju9
Maddie raised an eyebrow. "You sure? You look like you've seen that necklace before."181Please respect copyright.PENANAzO2mzCVeD3
Nathaniel's jaw tightened. For a long moment, it looked like he might say something else—but then he turned away. "If that's all, I have work to do."181Please respect copyright.PENANAlwdfCD6RYK
It was clear the conversation was over.181Please respect copyright.PENANAqQHyjiu2Sr
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The three of them left the shop, frustration heavy in the air.181Please respect copyright.PENANA0Eftma5xiH
"He knows something," Nick muttered.181Please respect copyright.PENANApHTgAJcqp0
"Obviously," Maddie said. "But he's not going to just tell us."181Please respect copyright.PENANATa92k4B90a
Chrissy was quiet. She could still see the flicker of recognition in Nathaniel's expression when he looked at the photo. He knew more than he was letting on.181Please respect copyright.PENANADt9arM25fY
And she was going to find out what.181Please respect copyright.PENANA8odsM2JzVn
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That evening, Nick walked Chrissy home, the quiet sounds of the ocean in the distance. The night air was cool, carrying the salty breeze through the trees.181Please respect copyright.PENANAL0mDTUIsOv
Nick was still tense from earlier, his eyes scanning the area.181Please respect copyright.PENANAWDTs8xVK6C
"You okay?" Chrissy asked.181Please respect copyright.PENANABocx2a70aS
"Just making sure no one followed us."181Please respect copyright.PENANAMMS8YNNsk5
Chrissy rolled her eyes. "Nick, I don't think—"181Please respect copyright.PENANAscmPU1YBs6
Then he stopped.181Please respect copyright.PENANA8JbD2SnPZ8
His hand instinctively reached out, gently grabbing her arm. "Wait."181Please respect copyright.PENANAGm70EDp2Zc
Chrissy froze, following his gaze toward the trees lining the road.181Please respect copyright.PENANAZK11gLX9Lv
There, just beyond the treeline, a shadow moved. A figure—just barely visible in the darkness.181Please respect copyright.PENANALd1dOVsaTv
Nick took a step forward, his body shifting slightly in front of Chrissy. "Hey!" he called out.181Please respect copyright.PENANA1ZzdL09UYz
But before he could get any closer, the shadow disappeared.181Please respect copyright.PENANAgCAptz17xU
Gone.181Please respect copyright.PENANAFfj3Ct0Dp0
Nick didn't move for a long moment, his jaw clenched.181Please respect copyright.PENANAcxRmMooPKq
Chrissy swallowed hard. "Did you see who it was?"181Please respect copyright.PENANATFExrPIxnh
"No," he admitted, his voice low. "But someone was there."181Please respect copyright.PENANAEtihq8X1qP
A shiver ran down Chrissy's spine.181Please respect copyright.PENANAnfK216acBT
Nick exhaled sharply. "Let's get you inside."181Please respect copyright.PENANASjpuZtEODl
As they reached her front door, Chrissy cast one last glance at the woods.181Please respect copyright.PENANAbeLC2YI1BT
The feeling of being watched hadn't gone away.181Please respect copyright.PENANAAmGJIoPkDA
And she had a terrible feeling...181Please respect copyright.PENANABDAxy9rW46
It was only just beginning.181Please respect copyright.PENANAtO7xY9Qs7R