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.41Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzkC769liQx
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.41Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJZ597O8QAS
"Finally," Maddie teased as Chrissy dropped onto the sand. "We were about to send a search party."41Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNWQiLwKkj4
Chrissy rolled her eyes, catching her breath. "Overslept." She reached for the book. "Anything interesting?"41Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡm8IJg7xPua
Maddie's eyes gleamed. "More than interesting. Listen to this." She cleared her throat and read aloud:41Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvWQMAyuklC
"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."41Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkjvyeeibAK
Chrissy shivered despite the warm breeze. "Sounds like the lighthouse story."41Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSqHMOGMWZu
Nick nodded. "The townspeople thought she was a mermaid. That's why they wanted the lighthouse keeper to give her up."41Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡa3lhAU1BhJ
Maddie snapped the book shut. "And that means we need to go to the lighthouse."41Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWUHmH4sIXV
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.41Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡASYhGPA9SB
"We have to," she said, surprising even herself. "If there are answers, they're there."41Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHPBalJ3bxb
Nick sighed. "I was afraid you'd say that."41Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDNOlOGsP0u
The Lighthouse Exploration41Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡV8HgMaUyY1
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.41Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaqK083vSIe
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.41Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3mmGKm7JNl
"This place is straight-up haunted," Maddie whispered, running a hand along the peeling wallpaper.41Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqeshqKR1Rl
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.41Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIAHhx8pRsn
"A Bible?" she murmured.41Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡShMZrgmCDE
Nick, who had been rummaging through a nearby cabinet, glanced over. "Weird place to leave it."41Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvXMJ6dTkPU
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.41Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMrmbmIGtI7
Nick bent down and picked it up. His expression shifted from confusion to shock as he turned the picture toward Chrissy.41Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmU68PM5BlC
"Uh... is this you?"41Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZVyIJuNekF
Chrissy frowned, reaching for it. But the moment she saw the image, her breath hitched.41Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIJe4eSTFhX
The woman in the photograph wasn't her. And yet... she could have been.41Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhO6AtfWwqh
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.41Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeiqPxMqxTf
Chrissy turned the photo over. Scribbled on the back, barely legible, were the letters: S & J.41Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4X2vkSbJq0
Maddie peered over her shoulder. "Who's 'S & J'?"41Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUMvoxnK3Uq
Chrissy didn't answer. Her heart pounded as she stared at the image, the lighthouse's eerie silence pressing in around them.41Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUUNCLgx4no
She wasn't sure what she'd been hoping to find here. But this... this was something more.41Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmQxGNYdfdY
Something personal.41Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjs3ZfjXgAT
Something unsettling.41Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhalsZQRT9w
And she had no idea what it meant. 41Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcujg4uNdwr
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.41Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXTJQJIAYJf
Why did she look like her?41Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkBbl5JAqTx
Why did she feel like the lighthouse was calling her?41Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4geqgtj0j4
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.41Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTc35yxgDVO
Like someone was watching.41Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkBRUEBqp55
She sat up quickly, heart pounding, and forced herself to look outside. Nothing. Just the trees swaying in the wind.41Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcWMPJJaoKl
Still, she couldn't shake the unease.41Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEapu3yBcUi
Tomorrow, she'd tell Nick.41Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlxm20FolDv
Maybe then, they'd figure out what this all meant.41Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLuI6CHxWrY
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.41Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡB0Bfvkw4LT
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.41Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPdCtbzJmFP
Nick was already there when she arrived, standing near the water's edge, absently tossing small rocks into the surf.41Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUFlFxxDG7L
"Hey," she called, pulling her bag higher on her shoulder.41Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHAuOAZYKEU
Nick turned, giving her a once-over like he was checking for something. Weird.41Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhkKB6oA4LQ
"Hey," he said. "You good?"41Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡP3K6fFmFs1
She hesitated. Should I even say anything? It was probably nothing. Just her mind playing tricks on her. But then again...41Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡT9MeL0Xn3F
"I don't know," she admitted. "Last night, I had this weird feeling. Like I was being watched."41Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAgCJ3xjNrZ
That got his attention. He straightened, his easygoing expression shifting to something more serious. "Watched?"41Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZAQ6b8OTif
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."41Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFEvvM4rkQ6
Nick's jaw tightened slightly, and his gaze flicked past her, scanning the area as if expecting to catch someone lurking in the dunes.41Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWLSl2A2ytl
"You see anything?" he asked, his voice quieter now.
"No. Just felt it."41Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUEvio5EbMb
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?"41Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAVESyeT6NB
Chrissy shrugged. "I mean, I think so."41Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRN5G6ODmja
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?"41Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEbtZSOBaGm
"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."41Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnvFdgctW4h
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.41Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1enTJccyR9
Maybe she had imagined it.41Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMpL5VoFnia
But if that was true... why did Nick look like he wasn't so sure?41Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuCgS8p9kou
