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.96Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXWuX8sBfwJ
"Alright," Maddie said, leaning forward as Chrissy slid into the seat. "What happened last night? You said you felt like you were being watched?"96Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdGp7SGk3kH
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."96Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5qtrm43w05
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."96Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8jIxt1pdH0
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.96Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡo0IkeZl606
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."96Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡW1a3X80P8b
Before Maddie could respond, the bell above the door jingled, and an older man stepped inside, carrying a small stack of books.96Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDtSlACmZMu
Chrissy immediately recognized him.96Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTfLFQBFax4
The historian.96Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXO162d7kUA
She barely had time to process his presence before he turned—and froze. His eyes locked onto her, his grip on the books tightening.96Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkkbj8Yfu0s
For a long second, no one spoke.96Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwpfBhl2EXy
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.96Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsnpMd5Hudl
Maddie immediately jumped up to help, bending down to pick up the scattered books. "Here, let me—"96Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ62Ym11v6Os
"I've got it," the historian snapped, snatching them up before she could touch them. His voice was tight, his movements stiff.96Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnB0TMEM1VT
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.96Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1U4VadaDzz
They all watched him go.96Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUlpXdsHdxV
"Well, that wasn't weird at all," Maddie muttered, brushing dust from her hands.96Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTaifsrSvEo
Chrissy stayed quiet, replaying the way he had looked at her—like he had seen a ghost.96Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwipcO1zCRH
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The encounter with the historian left Chrissy restless. She needed answers.96Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnLdE20n3HH
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.96Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpovmZS55PS
Flipping through a yearbook from decades ago, Maddie suddenly stopped. "Wait."96Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡE6bEfeDcVw
Chrissy and Nick leaned in.96Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡh0CS68huZc
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.96Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVpi2kNa3Dy
One stood out immediately.96Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeVAnC16lKT
James Whitaker.96Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxRR17Wye0v
Nick's eyes widened. "That's the lighthouse keeper."96Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlzPkvjlH64
But it was the boy next to him that sent a chill down Chrissy's spine. He was younger, but the resemblance was clear.96Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgC2JVJoKIt
"That's him," she whispered. "That's the historian."96Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡduekyhmeZ9
The name beneath the boy's image read: Nathaniel Whitaker.96Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSqbhv04KRO
"They're brothers," Maddie murmured.96Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhu7rQnvBv1
Chrissy leaned back in her chair, her mind racing. The historian—Nathaniel—was directly connected to the lighthouse. He had to know something.96Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVyNGcfiar5
"We need to talk to him," Nick said.96Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWnZAMeZX0s
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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.96Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqUJIRRM2kq
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.96Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCf0GjsG3T3
But it was the centerpiece that caught Chrissy's attention.96Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpxHeoY5D4L
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.96Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbUCtG7fTl1
"You interested in that?"96Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡT5hedAmYYa
Chrissy turned to find Nathaniel standing behind the counter, watching her. His voice was unreadable, carefully neutral.96Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡt65CnmaoT1
Chrissy hesitated, then pointed to the lighthouse replica. "That belonged to your brother, didn't it?"96Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxDVhOGm8DD
A flicker of something crossed his face, but it was gone in an instant.96Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxE5nPIdCFg
"I restore antiques," he said curtly. "It's just an old piece."96Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtojDiHt88F
Nick crossed his arms. "It looks exactly like the lighthouse James worked at."96Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0eLh4dCtqd
Nathaniel ignored him.96Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFPmJQfXwsx
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?"96Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡorwF5SspZb
Nathaniel barely looked at it before replying, "No."96Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡM2FH2DPm1e
Chrissy narrowed her eyes. "You didn't even—"96Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5tEYlHhD34
"I said no." His tone was sharp now, final.96Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzKheRMjKBr
Maddie raised an eyebrow. "You sure? You look like you've seen that necklace before."96Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2Y0kAK6qdD
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."96Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNpzhPNGeYm
It was clear the conversation was over.96Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdGwfJwIRGb
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The three of them left the shop, frustration heavy in the air.96Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡW3xqdKKUPV
"He knows something," Nick muttered.96Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiUxOvGGFKS
"Obviously," Maddie said. "But he's not going to just tell us."96Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgLmzfr8zdI
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.96Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwihfyATmRs
And she was going to find out what.96Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPnIFJnzaVp
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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.96Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡM3DgRWGL6K
Nick was still tense from earlier, his eyes scanning the area.96Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHBiuKBbTTG
"You okay?" Chrissy asked.96Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ99T8SS931g
"Just making sure no one followed us."96Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZR3rjaA1Wh
Chrissy rolled her eyes. "Nick, I don't think—"96Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcs4bNkgA4a
Then he stopped.96Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcDZOvplslW
His hand instinctively reached out, gently grabbing her arm. "Wait."96Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSKBTNI5ZEs
Chrissy froze, following his gaze toward the trees lining the road.96Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBXIHKTu4oi
There, just beyond the treeline, a shadow moved. A figure—just barely visible in the darkness.96Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKBBwdH072t
Nick took a step forward, his body shifting slightly in front of Chrissy. "Hey!" he called out.96Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwuxuIATH5l
But before he could get any closer, the shadow disappeared.96Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvSTV247nRS
Gone.96Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVoV778bOzA
Nick didn't move for a long moment, his jaw clenched.96Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEKgQqgXZ4m
Chrissy swallowed hard. "Did you see who it was?"96Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1neYZP3X6B
"No," he admitted, his voice low. "But someone was there."96Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdqOW4f6TBn
A shiver ran down Chrissy's spine.96Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡet8bVtAIa8
Nick exhaled sharply. "Let's get you inside."96Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQUs3jAfO8q
As they reached her front door, Chrissy cast one last glance at the woods.96Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrLQ6Y2UgQT
The feeling of being watched hadn't gone away.96Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJbf70lkH0n
And she had a terrible feeling...96Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvPnF4JdZ12
It was only just beginning.96Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjgstZJpjgg
