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.165Please respect copyright.PENANAGgPt23yCJQ
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.165Please respect copyright.PENANA2gXfubPIQ8
"Finally," Maddie teased as Chrissy dropped onto the sand. "We were about to send a search party."165Please respect copyright.PENANAyQP56XrEEG
Chrissy rolled her eyes, catching her breath. "Overslept." She reached for the book. "Anything interesting?"165Please respect copyright.PENANAk5u9DXJaWd
Maddie's eyes gleamed. "More than interesting. Listen to this." She cleared her throat and read aloud:165Please respect copyright.PENANAF58jgm6f8D
"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."165Please respect copyright.PENANA5e00nHtYR5
Chrissy shivered despite the warm breeze. "Sounds like the lighthouse story."165Please respect copyright.PENANAa8BCTTB342
Nick nodded. "The townspeople thought she was a mermaid. That's why they wanted the lighthouse keeper to give her up."165Please respect copyright.PENANALKDo2kAH4I
Maddie snapped the book shut. "And that means we need to go to the lighthouse."165Please respect copyright.PENANAekgxhVo0tw
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.165Please respect copyright.PENANA3zYd0SULYa
"We have to," she said, surprising even herself. "If there are answers, they're there."165Please respect copyright.PENANATZa17SyTFT
Nick sighed. "I was afraid you'd say that."165Please respect copyright.PENANA8mxG8fmm4d
The Lighthouse Exploration165Please respect copyright.PENANAM1vzXUidJz
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.165Please respect copyright.PENANAXowVSf0Lud
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.165Please respect copyright.PENANA5gjrN6yy6b
"This place is straight-up haunted," Maddie whispered, running a hand along the peeling wallpaper.165Please respect copyright.PENANAiA3jOlO3tu
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.165Please respect copyright.PENANA5qj71Y9tsI
"A Bible?" she murmured.165Please respect copyright.PENANA4tcyxDLt4p
Nick, who had been rummaging through a nearby cabinet, glanced over. "Weird place to leave it."165Please respect copyright.PENANA6ml9lzYyDy
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.165Please respect copyright.PENANAw0pTuT8W5d
Nick bent down and picked it up. His expression shifted from confusion to shock as he turned the picture toward Chrissy.165Please respect copyright.PENANALZyjMMWqQy
"Uh... is this you?"165Please respect copyright.PENANAOk8Q2OjNhS
Chrissy frowned, reaching for it. But the moment she saw the image, her breath hitched.165Please respect copyright.PENANAiZWqygDHkg
The woman in the photograph wasn't her. And yet... she could have been.165Please respect copyright.PENANA5UB6kSq9BH
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.165Please respect copyright.PENANAO9NTvM4OM9
Chrissy turned the photo over. Scribbled on the back, barely legible, were the letters: S & J.165Please respect copyright.PENANAxmoWYwBtOO
Maddie peered over her shoulder. "Who's 'S & J'?"165Please respect copyright.PENANAn5utVz96Zq
Chrissy didn't answer. Her heart pounded as she stared at the image, the lighthouse's eerie silence pressing in around them.165Please respect copyright.PENANA9vbiaWAbfv
She wasn't sure what she'd been hoping to find here. But this... this was something more.165Please respect copyright.PENANAIw1nQSrdzT
Something personal.165Please respect copyright.PENANAPn1K7Z1bde
Something unsettling.165Please respect copyright.PENANAj4ERf9ibdZ
And she had no idea what it meant. 165Please respect copyright.PENANA4WGXHpJ5XT
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.165Please respect copyright.PENANA69JUgfexDk
Why did she look like her?165Please respect copyright.PENANAo5NS1gdIIQ
Why did she feel like the lighthouse was calling her?165Please respect copyright.PENANAxbk6xY8rjj
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.165Please respect copyright.PENANAJL6N19szaP
Like someone was watching.165Please respect copyright.PENANAOHaLPbFd4Q
She sat up quickly, heart pounding, and forced herself to look outside. Nothing. Just the trees swaying in the wind.165Please respect copyright.PENANAvmxO8Ngzdf
Still, she couldn't shake the unease.165Please respect copyright.PENANAhwFA2L1jDU
Tomorrow, she'd tell Nick.165Please respect copyright.PENANAaTj9crKyy3
Maybe then, they'd figure out what this all meant.165Please respect copyright.PENANASwW50AnI0N
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.165Please respect copyright.PENANAQUbppE37W9
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.165Please respect copyright.PENANAFpchb5sZFn
Nick was already there when she arrived, standing near the water's edge, absently tossing small rocks into the surf.165Please respect copyright.PENANAaPn7V90Qby
"Hey," she called, pulling her bag higher on her shoulder.165Please respect copyright.PENANAAyPZRK9Evw
Nick turned, giving her a once-over like he was checking for something. Weird.165Please respect copyright.PENANA6IbNMyMuc5
"Hey," he said. "You good?"165Please respect copyright.PENANASDAE8JmYNp
She hesitated. Should I even say anything? It was probably nothing. Just her mind playing tricks on her. But then again...165Please respect copyright.PENANAriMMXcmFyZ
"I don't know," she admitted. "Last night, I had this weird feeling. Like I was being watched."165Please respect copyright.PENANAbQ9gASjyHt
That got his attention. He straightened, his easygoing expression shifting to something more serious. "Watched?"165Please respect copyright.PENANAlcYd5gmSJ3
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."165Please respect copyright.PENANAQbeVVmDMvV
Nick's jaw tightened slightly, and his gaze flicked past her, scanning the area as if expecting to catch someone lurking in the dunes.165Please respect copyright.PENANAlP2NsPvqhs
"You see anything?" he asked, his voice quieter now.
"No. Just felt it."165Please respect copyright.PENANAuu9582wF7Q
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?"165Please respect copyright.PENANAOAwuWZqK7L
Chrissy shrugged. "I mean, I think so."165Please respect copyright.PENANAVEHB8SFTiN
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?"165Please respect copyright.PENANAjpoXYHucZh
"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."165Please respect copyright.PENANAFHDZPY6lH2
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.165Please respect copyright.PENANAJrQHtqQnEC
Maybe she had imagined it.165Please respect copyright.PENANA0PSg9wS06a
But if that was true... why did Nick look like he wasn't so sure?165Please respect copyright.PENANAKOPnhX2Afj