Chapter 4: Echoes of the Past
The scent of fresh coffee and baked muffins filled the air as Chrissy stepped into the Book Nook. The cozy shop was quiet this morning, a few locals scattered at tables flipping through books. At a corner booth near the window, Maddie and Lacy were already waiting, a steaming cup of coffee and a blueberry muffin set out for Chrissy.35Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNMa6GC7zar
"Alright," Maddie said, leaning forward as Chrissy slid into the seat. "What happened last night? You said you felt like you were being watched?"35Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5sLgyaeUhP
Chrissy wrapped her hands around the warm coffee cup, her fingers tightening slightly. "I don't know if I was just imagining things, but after I got home, I kept looking at that photograph." She hesitated, her voice lowering. "And I swear... I felt something. Like someone was there, watching me."35Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkeKwJrA8Gx
Lacy's eyes lit up with intrigue. "That's classic ghost story material. A connection to the past, an old legend, mysterious signs—it all fits."35Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhQf1qSX1QI
Nick, who had arrived just as she said that, scoffed. "Or someone's actually watching her, and that's a real problem." His tone was serious, and he glanced out the shop window like he expected to see someone lurking.35Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuheAsU4X2B
Chrissy sighed. "I don't know what to think. But I know one thing—there's something more to that lighthouse, to this whole legend."35Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjTpmH4ecZD
Before Maddie could respond, the bell above the door jingled, and an older man stepped inside, carrying a small stack of books.35Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiAGVKZMUt1
Chrissy immediately recognized him.35Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRpk14Ku3XR
The historian.35Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡG4OlmqTP91
She barely had time to process his presence before he turned—and froze. His eyes locked onto her, his grip on the books tightening.35Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2wIkMGaVgJ
For a long second, no one spoke.35Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPpjXfrNgR5
Then, as if snapping out of a daze, the historian spun toward the counter, but in his rush, he dropped the books. The sound echoed through the quiet shop.35Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDB82Puyc2s
Maddie immediately jumped up to help, bending down to pick up the scattered books. "Here, let me—"35Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlm4ClwyGiv
"I've got it," the historian snapped, snatching them up before she could touch them. His voice was tight, his movements stiff.35Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4GbEtKYT6L
Maddie frowned, taken aback by his rudeness, but before anyone could say anything else, he muttered a hurried "Excuse me" and strode out the door, nearly knocking into a display on his way out.35Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡukAumOcmWd
They all watched him go.35Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdq7WFr1kOL
"Well, that wasn't weird at all," Maddie muttered, brushing dust from her hands.35Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡS2lGhLip3J
Chrissy stayed quiet, replaying the way he had looked at her—like he had seen a ghost.35Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQ2dl5JzfTW
⸻35Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDljiTUGM4t
The encounter with the historian left Chrissy restless. She needed answers.35Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCA1fNCIOAx
Lacy helped them gather a stack of old newspapers, genealogy records, and even a few yearbooks from the town's archives, hoping they could find anything related to the lighthouse keeper, the historian, or the mysterious woman in the photograph.35Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHPgIQScM4a
Flipping through a yearbook from decades ago, Maddie suddenly stopped. "Wait."35Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdlZwD7hpbV
Chrissy and Nick leaned in.35Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9N8ho8MkLX
Maddie pointed to a black-and-white photo of a group of boys sitting at a long table in what looked like a school library. Underneath the image, a caption listed their names.35Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ25cjOWnHpF
One stood out immediately.35Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9pBlWyCAy9
James Whitaker.35Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡW4ITpdE5cd
Nick's eyes widened. "That's the lighthouse keeper."35Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVSoQmiOTYu
But it was the boy next to him that sent a chill down Chrissy's spine. He was younger, but the resemblance was clear.35Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDuLKavzGR8
"That's him," she whispered. "That's the historian."35Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGc0QiIHp4I
The name beneath the boy's image read: Nathaniel Whitaker.35Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNAv50Tc3Kx
"They're brothers," Maddie murmured.35Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfCQUiSKpzy
Chrissy leaned back in her chair, her mind racing. The historian—Nathaniel—was directly connected to the lighthouse. He had to know something.35Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡT4nWeQZsYl
"We need to talk to him," Nick said.35Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnfbrk0xsdf
⸻35Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3ZINdx4MN5
Tracking Nathaniel down wasn't difficult. After asking around town, they learned he worked at an antique shop near the harbor, one that specialized in shipwreck artifacts.35Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4CkpVYlOIO
When they arrived, the shop was dimly lit, the air thick with the scent of salt and old wood. Glass cases displayed rusted coins, compasses crusted with years of sea decay, and delicate shells that looked almost too perfect to be real.35Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQa7DgFnXtI
But it was the centerpiece that caught Chrissy's attention.35Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡn84Fi8kqWI
A small, metal replica of the lighthouse. Rusted and aged, it sat on a wooden shelf, standing no taller than a foot. But despite its worn condition, there was something strikingly familiar about it.35Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQtra35mCbH
"You interested in that?"35Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjm43CVCWgO
Chrissy turned to find Nathaniel standing behind the counter, watching her. His voice was unreadable, carefully neutral.35Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOjHkjAokDK
Chrissy hesitated, then pointed to the lighthouse replica. "That belonged to your brother, didn't it?"35Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTraBHtOf77
A flicker of something crossed his face, but it was gone in an instant.35Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDNH8sbf7hy
"I restore antiques," he said curtly. "It's just an old piece."35Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdB6dR2vr3E
Nick crossed his arms. "It looks exactly like the lighthouse James worked at."35Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7lXK3Tmnns
Nathaniel ignored him.35Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZpXfEHw6br
Chrissy reached into her bag, pulling out the photograph from the lighthouse. She turned it toward him, pointing at the necklace around the woman's neck. "Do you know anything about this?"35Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuyMADvW7G6
Nathaniel barely looked at it before replying, "No."35Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCV0rCjkn3d
Chrissy narrowed her eyes. "You didn't even—"35Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsCI4TQv8yG
"I said no." His tone was sharp now, final.35Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6HvwHnE06F
Maddie raised an eyebrow. "You sure? You look like you've seen that necklace before."35Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSSCwbtvEcR
Nathaniel's jaw tightened. For a long moment, it looked like he might say something else—but then he turned away. "If that's all, I have work to do."35Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdiye3Fixpl
It was clear the conversation was over.35Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8NVRxFnEG0
35Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxT31EyGoyc
⸻
The three of them left the shop, frustration heavy in the air.35Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3yrcFR0W38
"He knows something," Nick muttered.35Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡe4ZeizdTk1
"Obviously," Maddie said. "But he's not going to just tell us."35Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbGVg5Rg1VK
Chrissy was quiet. She could still see the flicker of recognition in Nathaniel's expression when he looked at the photo. He knew more than he was letting on.35Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡq6EVTlZ67o
And she was going to find out what.35Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZUxUCiVN8D
35Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0GH8bT7VUm
⸻
That evening, Nick walked Chrissy home, the quiet sounds of the ocean in the distance. The night air was cool, carrying the salty breeze through the trees.35Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0A6HYlGNi6
Nick was still tense from earlier, his eyes scanning the area.35Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXqSNlBu6kD
"You okay?" Chrissy asked.35Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpK2m62vqUp
"Just making sure no one followed us."35Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhchaK9L8cV
Chrissy rolled her eyes. "Nick, I don't think—"35Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfEUDX0LOnE
Then he stopped.35Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4wkTjffV9l
His hand instinctively reached out, gently grabbing her arm. "Wait."35Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJXzrtECzV2
Chrissy froze, following his gaze toward the trees lining the road.35Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4VzBKpZxcK
There, just beyond the treeline, a shadow moved. A figure—just barely visible in the darkness.35Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUtfSyBFco2
Nick took a step forward, his body shifting slightly in front of Chrissy. "Hey!" he called out.35Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡH22oJCp8vn
But before he could get any closer, the shadow disappeared.35Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWo1geSfeat
Gone.35Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIZ27IudfPO
Nick didn't move for a long moment, his jaw clenched.35Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡO8lSMnm7jB
Chrissy swallowed hard. "Did you see who it was?"35Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwRDwKgvNDj
"No," he admitted, his voice low. "But someone was there."35Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ62X6g9CUWU
A shiver ran down Chrissy's spine.35Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDIK4PyPUpI
Nick exhaled sharply. "Let's get you inside."35Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡayd3QKNBD4
As they reached her front door, Chrissy cast one last glance at the woods.35Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBwbZnpyK7j
The feeling of being watched hadn't gone away.35Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSISMIBiYWQ
And she had a terrible feeling...35Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡu5ZIgHhx8t
It was only just beginning.35Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3TeueM8ZSH
