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.250Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmOrNqr8gi1
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.250Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡK3Y2qxfjQo
"Finally," Maddie teased as Chrissy dropped onto the sand. "We were about to send a search party."250Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqwoSfuo4MN
Chrissy rolled her eyes, catching her breath. "Overslept." She reached for the book. "Anything interesting?"250Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡh2e7RjKTwC
Maddie's eyes gleamed. "More than interesting. Listen to this." She cleared her throat and read aloud:250Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHuzmOIhyCR
"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."250Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCq2QeOwoMt
Chrissy shivered despite the warm breeze. "Sounds like the lighthouse story."250Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfXA4kd73Jz
Nick nodded. "The townspeople thought she was a mermaid. That's why they wanted the lighthouse keeper to give her up."250Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡm2qwhbLBPs
Maddie snapped the book shut. "And that means we need to go to the lighthouse."250Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHGyFx1tbV6
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.250Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6RX8dL0hzd
"We have to," she said, surprising even herself. "If there are answers, they're there."250Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEZYlFDDKZp
Nick sighed. "I was afraid you'd say that."250Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxBZmk65i5v
The Lighthouse Exploration250Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6FcdldfKpQ
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.250Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAFvJNgV8On
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.250Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgq5hJO3Xka
"This place is straight-up haunted," Maddie whispered, running a hand along the peeling wallpaper.250Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOtkEiG7mbd
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.250Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYiuRi6v2ZT
"A Bible?" she murmured.250Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsGdV4yUiUL
Nick, who had been rummaging through a nearby cabinet, glanced over. "Weird place to leave it."250Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhzXg8M1sDK
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.250Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5L1z1M72BU
Nick bent down and picked it up. His expression shifted from confusion to shock as he turned the picture toward Chrissy.250Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlgQKywgmSw
"Uh... is this you?"250Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgiNd2JIuYI
Chrissy frowned, reaching for it. But the moment she saw the image, her breath hitched.250Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoUcibXDvc9
The woman in the photograph wasn't her. And yet... she could have been.250Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡP3ZHv0bHYc
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.250Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2fOfWHORDN
Chrissy turned the photo over. Scribbled on the back, barely legible, were the letters: S & J.250Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡf1JLO7ThoU
Maddie peered over her shoulder. "Who's 'S & J'?"250Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMrnb3TQ3XP
Chrissy didn't answer. Her heart pounded as she stared at the image, the lighthouse's eerie silence pressing in around them.250Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3NTTe60geM
She wasn't sure what she'd been hoping to find here. But this... this was something more.250Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuGchcukxbA
Something personal.250Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbzaT599KvL
Something unsettling.250Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡedT4mfYKAH
And she had no idea what it meant. 250Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsqBOBFrHrP
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.250Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1keUeGrNni
Why did she look like her?250Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTrBObM2EDA
Why did she feel like the lighthouse was calling her?250Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUAUeVDjyYr
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.250Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdEJFfJRPww
Like someone was watching.250Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJJTqBS1WH9
She sat up quickly, heart pounding, and forced herself to look outside. Nothing. Just the trees swaying in the wind.250Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDuHUsTZ3PQ
Still, she couldn't shake the unease.250Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTAacwCjltc
Tomorrow, she'd tell Nick.250Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡw8OBBTCL53
Maybe then, they'd figure out what this all meant.250Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡj6xjwS2zdi
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.250Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡO1fssX1cz9
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.250Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLbuwI5FK4D
Nick was already there when she arrived, standing near the water's edge, absently tossing small rocks into the surf.250Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzwjM1bpXGN
"Hey," she called, pulling her bag higher on her shoulder.250Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡD3pl3gXULg
Nick turned, giving her a once-over like he was checking for something. Weird.250Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4mtd0xwpVL
"Hey," he said. "You good?"250Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkEVLRxLN5W
She hesitated. Should I even say anything? It was probably nothing. Just her mind playing tricks on her. But then again...250Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6hgUNKVIsM
"I don't know," she admitted. "Last night, I had this weird feeling. Like I was being watched."250Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbages2HkJV
That got his attention. He straightened, his easygoing expression shifting to something more serious. "Watched?"250Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡykBfl9RzXt
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."250Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaI3zBoUQGV
Nick's jaw tightened slightly, and his gaze flicked past her, scanning the area as if expecting to catch someone lurking in the dunes.250Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡC5tZuh5q9P
"You see anything?" he asked, his voice quieter now.
"No. Just felt it."250Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡik7r3Nesdk
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?"250Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQ6kKIxgUKH
Chrissy shrugged. "I mean, I think so."250Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlY1Xow5xIZ
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?"250Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJjZkOKjlQg
"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."250Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡa9fpzXUTqv
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.250Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡs8Rzz61JUJ
Maybe she had imagined it.250Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXmC2zuiFrP
But if that was true... why did Nick look like he wasn't so sure?250Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhXwsIRI95c
