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.212Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXkV0KvBfqk
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.212Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhVl3yL09pc
"Finally," Maddie teased as Chrissy dropped onto the sand. "We were about to send a search party."212Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡR5qre6DWAe
Chrissy rolled her eyes, catching her breath. "Overslept." She reached for the book. "Anything interesting?"212Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrLXsVdRV9d
Maddie's eyes gleamed. "More than interesting. Listen to this." She cleared her throat and read aloud:212Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjb2QTDLqcD
"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."212Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcWfwWT4FRQ
Chrissy shivered despite the warm breeze. "Sounds like the lighthouse story."212Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4dgozMb2SB
Nick nodded. "The townspeople thought she was a mermaid. That's why they wanted the lighthouse keeper to give her up."212Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbb1qsbB0I9
Maddie snapped the book shut. "And that means we need to go to the lighthouse."212Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJ0VIS2AXIW
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.212Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡk06bD6sPjt
"We have to," she said, surprising even herself. "If there are answers, they're there."212Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkXdpHSZgkY
Nick sighed. "I was afraid you'd say that."212Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9fU0rnGezt
The Lighthouse Exploration212Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGD3nd9xrfp
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.212Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCdFyHShVjZ
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.212Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsFq47A6vsF
"This place is straight-up haunted," Maddie whispered, running a hand along the peeling wallpaper.212Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8xLzIDjHUw
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.212Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiPg09tYJxW
"A Bible?" she murmured.212Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZoCmb1aUmB
Nick, who had been rummaging through a nearby cabinet, glanced over. "Weird place to leave it."212Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvCR4s0tUuW
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.212Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡB9lUFF0vVp
Nick bent down and picked it up. His expression shifted from confusion to shock as he turned the picture toward Chrissy.212Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyS3jgubvqB
"Uh... is this you?"212Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXoPepC79Ia
Chrissy frowned, reaching for it. But the moment she saw the image, her breath hitched.212Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3w08VK2EPd
The woman in the photograph wasn't her. And yet... she could have been.212Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5S1aGpZA5J
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.212Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJ0b0iONk1X
Chrissy turned the photo over. Scribbled on the back, barely legible, were the letters: S & J.212Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDMHhrl2DhG
Maddie peered over her shoulder. "Who's 'S & J'?"212Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkWAj3Jr8ee
Chrissy didn't answer. Her heart pounded as she stared at the image, the lighthouse's eerie silence pressing in around them.212Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIReTv5GUYy
She wasn't sure what she'd been hoping to find here. But this... this was something more.212Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJFnuhQTSv7
Something personal.212Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2Vl6vjLg28
Something unsettling.212Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡN7OX5OgPcb
And she had no idea what it meant. 212Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKTi66UFGN4
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.212Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWzIGOTYQ0V
Why did she look like her?212Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyUnhAGmt8m
Why did she feel like the lighthouse was calling her?212Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiVQULrsYge
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.212Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnvzBf4fj9Y
Like someone was watching.212Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ120BeG7ry3
She sat up quickly, heart pounding, and forced herself to look outside. Nothing. Just the trees swaying in the wind.212Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1D04Jg1Dvr
Still, she couldn't shake the unease.212Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVmzV7Tye6Q
Tomorrow, she'd tell Nick.212Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAoXKYEWByC
Maybe then, they'd figure out what this all meant.212Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXkC5STuBV2
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.212Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0zEo3DazYv
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.212Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgP4LY750H9
Nick was already there when she arrived, standing near the water's edge, absently tossing small rocks into the surf.212Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQJKhdyEHIH
"Hey," she called, pulling her bag higher on her shoulder.212Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoCAEzFrJCW
Nick turned, giving her a once-over like he was checking for something. Weird.212Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5wGXxr8ulf
"Hey," he said. "You good?"212Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2GJHEXzUNn
She hesitated. Should I even say anything? It was probably nothing. Just her mind playing tricks on her. But then again...212Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqYWHYu3swB
"I don't know," she admitted. "Last night, I had this weird feeling. Like I was being watched."212Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡm1YBVjwBjX
That got his attention. He straightened, his easygoing expression shifting to something more serious. "Watched?"212Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfctX3vih4U
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."212Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdVnZxifqps
Nick's jaw tightened slightly, and his gaze flicked past her, scanning the area as if expecting to catch someone lurking in the dunes.212Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡl6FlNtZqDS
"You see anything?" he asked, his voice quieter now.
"No. Just felt it."212Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1HCq4vuRUM
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?"212Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡT2w2HXRN4w
Chrissy shrugged. "I mean, I think so."212Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFnXtXGhME2
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?"212Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEoNKx8zV3A
"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."212Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDg10zK1w2C
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.212Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvq3UfMkPmS
Maybe she had imagined it.212Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJVW1QtBK83
But if that was true... why did Nick look like he wasn't so sure?212Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxwyh034Ocd
