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.174Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcbyd9WkC00
"Alright," Maddie said, leaning forward as Chrissy slid into the seat. "What happened last night? You said you felt like you were being watched?"174Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQqkPDlTnl1
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."174Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4fX2WAKgwW
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."174Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrYirPCRj2Q
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.174Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡl8vtsV17OQ
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."174Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFvMZ1ZM2YM
Before Maddie could respond, the bell above the door jingled, and an older man stepped inside, carrying a small stack of books.174Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLhQxAImH0c
Chrissy immediately recognized him.174Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡioDpX8eaIZ
The historian.174Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPZZVRHBr2c
She barely had time to process his presence before he turned—and froze. His eyes locked onto her, his grip on the books tightening.174Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQYBXIgOGK4
For a long second, no one spoke.174Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJ7F7OGFNPf
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.174Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRjFolqJNvJ
Maddie immediately jumped up to help, bending down to pick up the scattered books. "Here, let me—"174Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjk7z3VSdXP
"I've got it," the historian snapped, snatching them up before she could touch them. His voice was tight, his movements stiff.174Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoVbJ3XQUVU
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.174Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡN8LuHG3MuY
They all watched him go.174Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdpfGAMMs2N
"Well, that wasn't weird at all," Maddie muttered, brushing dust from her hands.174Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUbI6apZdvn
Chrissy stayed quiet, replaying the way he had looked at her—like he had seen a ghost.174Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlkta1GKK8O
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The encounter with the historian left Chrissy restless. She needed answers.174Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5WJbr1nnfQ
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.174Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnKJri54Dkl
Flipping through a yearbook from decades ago, Maddie suddenly stopped. "Wait."174Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnX7XiySJ4X
Chrissy and Nick leaned in.174Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlMvuApkjYz
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.174Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwA6bXJF4CI
One stood out immediately.174Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQwHMgpOXKV
James Whitaker.174Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpHPE2UulGT
Nick's eyes widened. "That's the lighthouse keeper."174Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYwaKikxBRG
But it was the boy next to him that sent a chill down Chrissy's spine. He was younger, but the resemblance was clear.174Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeWLJDtt261
"That's him," she whispered. "That's the historian."174Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjHHAFMQ3QG
The name beneath the boy's image read: Nathaniel Whitaker.174Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ42Oa0LPrMv
"They're brothers," Maddie murmured.174Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvwgkB5QqBc
Chrissy leaned back in her chair, her mind racing. The historian—Nathaniel—was directly connected to the lighthouse. He had to know something.174Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpFbOqtDB8Y
"We need to talk to him," Nick said.174Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSPLRJFcRQy
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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.174Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkQRfz6Ft9X
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.174Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡraCkRZlueU
But it was the centerpiece that caught Chrissy's attention.174Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwGds12H8uD
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.174Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzDlytWL70N
"You interested in that?"174Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbhseWnttFi
Chrissy turned to find Nathaniel standing behind the counter, watching her. His voice was unreadable, carefully neutral.174Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfn4iNdoOnj
Chrissy hesitated, then pointed to the lighthouse replica. "That belonged to your brother, didn't it?"174Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡC475Rntdb4
A flicker of something crossed his face, but it was gone in an instant.174Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmir9PguCj6
"I restore antiques," he said curtly. "It's just an old piece."174Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWAn1untdbV
Nick crossed his arms. "It looks exactly like the lighthouse James worked at."174Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3LdEAynGOD
Nathaniel ignored him.174Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6pJLW2Usxc
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?"174Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEK1iHmICW3
Nathaniel barely looked at it before replying, "No."174Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLAslg1V7xb
Chrissy narrowed her eyes. "You didn't even—"174Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSELLpPoP36
"I said no." His tone was sharp now, final.174Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡozFL07q51T
Maddie raised an eyebrow. "You sure? You look like you've seen that necklace before."174Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZwsLnhgpto
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."174Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkT5v0oh7jX
It was clear the conversation was over.174Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡB7VbmcsyBP
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The three of them left the shop, frustration heavy in the air.174Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqJc13Axdo0
"He knows something," Nick muttered.174Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsh20mWpVwS
"Obviously," Maddie said. "But he's not going to just tell us."174Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡU5zaIvrmGx
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.174Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvMK7HBIPvl
And she was going to find out what.174Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8ZDtfWP2n1
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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.174Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3CsCK4YeIY
Nick was still tense from earlier, his eyes scanning the area.174Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqdjTMjog89
"You okay?" Chrissy asked.174Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPuuftTgoRo
"Just making sure no one followed us."174Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnvZxWbVA3p
Chrissy rolled her eyes. "Nick, I don't think—"174Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9rtGG5tzcO
Then he stopped.174Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPDG9Ktw7jh
His hand instinctively reached out, gently grabbing her arm. "Wait."174Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxHBK5JD8FI
Chrissy froze, following his gaze toward the trees lining the road.174Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaC8jWSznBR
There, just beyond the treeline, a shadow moved. A figure—just barely visible in the darkness.174Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPqn1YyRUCU
Nick took a step forward, his body shifting slightly in front of Chrissy. "Hey!" he called out.174Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡn4tfAbKfcu
But before he could get any closer, the shadow disappeared.174Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9W46QXKsyA
Gone.174Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnE8OAHxt0O
Nick didn't move for a long moment, his jaw clenched.174Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzOLxZS6uwT
Chrissy swallowed hard. "Did you see who it was?"174Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeyFe64xYiD
"No," he admitted, his voice low. "But someone was there."174Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhrHfwdSF9c
A shiver ran down Chrissy's spine.174Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMM4EOJv0Ga
Nick exhaled sharply. "Let's get you inside."174Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEZVLZkwePc
As they reached her front door, Chrissy cast one last glance at the woods.174Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSxtWvFTqGa
The feeling of being watched hadn't gone away.174Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJua8kedUZf
And she had a terrible feeling...174Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡP3SarfXCNz
It was only just beginning.174Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXER54JaUxz
