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.114Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEThGGziDCP
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.114Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡP3XKtzO5fr
"Finally," Maddie teased as Chrissy dropped onto the sand. "We were about to send a search party."114Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxBRGF3nvoh
Chrissy rolled her eyes, catching her breath. "Overslept." She reached for the book. "Anything interesting?"114Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhchh4sLa1a
Maddie's eyes gleamed. "More than interesting. Listen to this." She cleared her throat and read aloud:114Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ45XG238xwr
"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."114Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUZQxCJdDgU
Chrissy shivered despite the warm breeze. "Sounds like the lighthouse story."114Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWs0RNQuv51
Nick nodded. "The townspeople thought she was a mermaid. That's why they wanted the lighthouse keeper to give her up."114Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGfUaa15gDi
Maddie snapped the book shut. "And that means we need to go to the lighthouse."114Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtgAx7WkvSh
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.114Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlcKUSNMHJh
"We have to," she said, surprising even herself. "If there are answers, they're there."114Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUWcTygS1Pk
Nick sighed. "I was afraid you'd say that."114Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcihMtlUTIq
The Lighthouse Exploration114Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqjC2zr2h4A
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.114Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlgClpMoCCy
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.114Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡneIyV5lKev
"This place is straight-up haunted," Maddie whispered, running a hand along the peeling wallpaper.114Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDfQWyO7Stw
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.114Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9UtuTrGeaa
"A Bible?" she murmured.114Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡe5QzxLGHFl
Nick, who had been rummaging through a nearby cabinet, glanced over. "Weird place to leave it."114Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡr6YqpX0KVt
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.114Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtde8bWlOLK
Nick bent down and picked it up. His expression shifted from confusion to shock as he turned the picture toward Chrissy.114Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEDaobyL5Ax
"Uh... is this you?"114Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSGqCANyity
Chrissy frowned, reaching for it. But the moment she saw the image, her breath hitched.114Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8fXg2QEH8u
The woman in the photograph wasn't her. And yet... she could have been.114Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRFQpStLwrp
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.114Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡso1gEY9EIM
Chrissy turned the photo over. Scribbled on the back, barely legible, were the letters: S & J.114Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMu3lVMEfHP
Maddie peered over her shoulder. "Who's 'S & J'?"114Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDuIvfU38Gg
Chrissy didn't answer. Her heart pounded as she stared at the image, the lighthouse's eerie silence pressing in around them.114Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡY0FZzQpcjT
She wasn't sure what she'd been hoping to find here. But this... this was something more.114Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbeupmTBFns
Something personal.114Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgXRqDN0eDy
Something unsettling.114Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdNXdmpw02h
And she had no idea what it meant. 114Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZo0WKEO1qN
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.114Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡN61By9mTZL
Why did she look like her?114Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPVURZCZcOU
Why did she feel like the lighthouse was calling her?114Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡg0ReuxlVR7
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.114Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmITyV1pGuY
Like someone was watching.114Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡI6Q6nSNrAn
She sat up quickly, heart pounding, and forced herself to look outside. Nothing. Just the trees swaying in the wind.114Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5Ct8DvbKQM
Still, she couldn't shake the unease.114Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0j7q2kwgMG
Tomorrow, she'd tell Nick.114Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaMnHo2wjcr
Maybe then, they'd figure out what this all meant.114Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYLTmdqXHDC
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.114Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFJlCvAtCJ1
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.114Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtQHG3mrlRz
Nick was already there when she arrived, standing near the water's edge, absently tossing small rocks into the surf.114Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaMWLBx7N8v
"Hey," she called, pulling her bag higher on her shoulder.114Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsJtthENzir
Nick turned, giving her a once-over like he was checking for something. Weird.114Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlGpECgV4rj
"Hey," he said. "You good?"114Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvS7Vru7xWP
She hesitated. Should I even say anything? It was probably nothing. Just her mind playing tricks on her. But then again...114Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXd5ySCOM9Y
"I don't know," she admitted. "Last night, I had this weird feeling. Like I was being watched."114Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcR2ULce9Pv
That got his attention. He straightened, his easygoing expression shifting to something more serious. "Watched?"114Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡY8n0s6dpIr
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."114Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbaVw2mQD2F
Nick's jaw tightened slightly, and his gaze flicked past her, scanning the area as if expecting to catch someone lurking in the dunes.114Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvxWTv3xsZq
"You see anything?" he asked, his voice quieter now.
"No. Just felt it."114Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNIlOfQUXlK
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?"114Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNgc6ElDnh9
Chrissy shrugged. "I mean, I think so."114Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqhQ690VarN
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?"114Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6SwlEbOnsz
"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."114Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYBXRSvl83v
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.114Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡg92LK7Lk9Z
Maybe she had imagined it.114Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdB0kYxFXwn
But if that was true... why did Nick look like he wasn't so sure?114Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFrrQErwxJ5
