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.47Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPUENWvjPIR
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.47Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnjr558FV5y
"Finally," Maddie teased as Chrissy dropped onto the sand. "We were about to send a search party."47Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyVk2wvyNx4
Chrissy rolled her eyes, catching her breath. "Overslept." She reached for the book. "Anything interesting?"47Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwDCMfIHRk7
Maddie's eyes gleamed. "More than interesting. Listen to this." She cleared her throat and read aloud:47Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBtmN8Ktwv6
"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."47Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡky4JMql1T5
Chrissy shivered despite the warm breeze. "Sounds like the lighthouse story."47Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjkaK1F2WLw
Nick nodded. "The townspeople thought she was a mermaid. That's why they wanted the lighthouse keeper to give her up."47Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡw4A538limt
Maddie snapped the book shut. "And that means we need to go to the lighthouse."47Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0mKJhgP37O
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.47Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUB0hbhs0DS
"We have to," she said, surprising even herself. "If there are answers, they're there."47Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfo4jpmk5Nu
Nick sighed. "I was afraid you'd say that."47Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡn6EK2HxBVe
The Lighthouse Exploration47Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFEZ0JlhKKD
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.47Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtrbeNJY2jR
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.47Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmnyLFFhwFT
"This place is straight-up haunted," Maddie whispered, running a hand along the peeling wallpaper.47Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiekyFQhwKL
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.47Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡD5CBSphXJv
"A Bible?" she murmured.47Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZy1Xn2vPK1
Nick, who had been rummaging through a nearby cabinet, glanced over. "Weird place to leave it."47Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvkpEQI3Qds
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.47Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeIuBFJbk8R
Nick bent down and picked it up. His expression shifted from confusion to shock as he turned the picture toward Chrissy.47Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTfWztg9xPk
"Uh... is this you?"47Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhUxKURaZXG
Chrissy frowned, reaching for it. But the moment she saw the image, her breath hitched.47Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2cR4DOZ2gC
The woman in the photograph wasn't her. And yet... she could have been.47Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjhOEO9Tk4I
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.47Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6XkrreGWZj
Chrissy turned the photo over. Scribbled on the back, barely legible, were the letters: S & J.47Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdjBtEF7jkO
Maddie peered over her shoulder. "Who's 'S & J'?"47Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIJ15BaZGp2
Chrissy didn't answer. Her heart pounded as she stared at the image, the lighthouse's eerie silence pressing in around them.47Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡABuT0TujNI
She wasn't sure what she'd been hoping to find here. But this... this was something more.47Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfAcDmd3NgV
Something personal.47Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIj7dsIt32a
Something unsettling.47Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQ69OyCVQKJ
And she had no idea what it meant. 47Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ760sBDvEkN
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.47Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSP5bdbYP2k
Why did she look like her?47Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsTIEjm6Hwh
Why did she feel like the lighthouse was calling her?47Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiI7mGtRVpy
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.47Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrT5Jgzba1t
Like someone was watching.47Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5sHqWsjqK0
She sat up quickly, heart pounding, and forced herself to look outside. Nothing. Just the trees swaying in the wind.47Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEwJZN3O0YN
Still, she couldn't shake the unease.47Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡR3RaI5xYe4
Tomorrow, she'd tell Nick.47Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡh2456IHL3s
Maybe then, they'd figure out what this all meant.47Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4vzE8BmGAh
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.47Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡy9YBJP2Ute
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.47Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiHjdcjBBcW
Nick was already there when she arrived, standing near the water's edge, absently tossing small rocks into the surf.47Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTIbD1aJFLG
"Hey," she called, pulling her bag higher on her shoulder.47Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ44sk2sf2i7
Nick turned, giving her a once-over like he was checking for something. Weird.47Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ69OMygjYQ4
"Hey," he said. "You good?"47Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdBpL7harAG
She hesitated. Should I even say anything? It was probably nothing. Just her mind playing tricks on her. But then again...47Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyKpjWFgGnT
"I don't know," she admitted. "Last night, I had this weird feeling. Like I was being watched."47Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjcnKHyzkWB
That got his attention. He straightened, his easygoing expression shifting to something more serious. "Watched?"47Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡidgwvGjdx0
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."47Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFnvfchXb0I
Nick's jaw tightened slightly, and his gaze flicked past her, scanning the area as if expecting to catch someone lurking in the dunes.47Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtmxGk1uVPu
"You see anything?" he asked, his voice quieter now.
"No. Just felt it."47Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡV4JnVJ35zV
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?"47Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYFRrvpj1Fo
Chrissy shrugged. "I mean, I think so."47Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFNLH2Fhwkg
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?"47Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnvC3blOYxE
"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."47Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgr0uvakjHq
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.47Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeOGlbqdQGv
Maybe she had imagined it.47Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5exsGftcYi
But if that was true... why did Nick look like he wasn't so sure?47Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMFcfY4O2My
