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
