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.30Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡudpnvmEnuQ
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.30Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡY2Oieic5LJ
"Finally," Maddie teased as Chrissy dropped onto the sand. "We were about to send a search party."30Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡh2CIFpbn5X
Chrissy rolled her eyes, catching her breath. "Overslept." She reached for the book. "Anything interesting?"30Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡM1ktRRMj4h
Maddie's eyes gleamed. "More than interesting. Listen to this." She cleared her throat and read aloud:30Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvlYVavmrDO
"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."30Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡG5TewJbOAE
Chrissy shivered despite the warm breeze. "Sounds like the lighthouse story."30Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGF0PspbFA8
Nick nodded. "The townspeople thought she was a mermaid. That's why they wanted the lighthouse keeper to give her up."30Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZD9MTIn1sL
Maddie snapped the book shut. "And that means we need to go to the lighthouse."30Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNCJFGCWCHh
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.30Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTj35EQnKWO
"We have to," she said, surprising even herself. "If there are answers, they're there."30Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuBy8xGXE1s
Nick sighed. "I was afraid you'd say that."30Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6afcFGImTB
The Lighthouse Exploration30Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡf0uu3FkgVy
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.30Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXl4rByFRe0
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.30Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡql3MQFdMAK
"This place is straight-up haunted," Maddie whispered, running a hand along the peeling wallpaper.30Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvEPT45CMpn
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.30Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡK6fjfKqFjN
"A Bible?" she murmured.30Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiw8jEFcerX
Nick, who had been rummaging through a nearby cabinet, glanced over. "Weird place to leave it."30Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡc97lfLQ8Ux
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.30Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdeUl4XiPjq
Nick bent down and picked it up. His expression shifted from confusion to shock as he turned the picture toward Chrissy.30Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwMbSZQJDG2
"Uh... is this you?"30Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRqpU4lTCyK
Chrissy frowned, reaching for it. But the moment she saw the image, her breath hitched.30Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡs68bI054Uz
The woman in the photograph wasn't her. And yet... she could have been.30Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3EAqH35B9A
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.30Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVJsaRH74zG
Chrissy turned the photo over. Scribbled on the back, barely legible, were the letters: S & J.30Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡECfMaR0FpZ
Maddie peered over her shoulder. "Who's 'S & J'?"30Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyaFVT9PmLR
Chrissy didn't answer. Her heart pounded as she stared at the image, the lighthouse's eerie silence pressing in around them.30Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkrmAYeXzPC
She wasn't sure what she'd been hoping to find here. But this... this was something more.30Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBCAjA1kqnt
Something personal.30Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQq1Kyn4eQ0
Something unsettling.30Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhW8zwQXiGc
And she had no idea what it meant. 30Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡK6CjsSogh6
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.30Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJMM5wZ9fNG
Why did she look like her?30Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPU2AaCfYOk
Why did she feel like the lighthouse was calling her?30Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQPD8lnLMVR
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.30Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWNUUYAqz9Z
Like someone was watching.30Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡivcybcg6dV
She sat up quickly, heart pounding, and forced herself to look outside. Nothing. Just the trees swaying in the wind.30Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPKLB4fXZdr
Still, she couldn't shake the unease.30Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡS3jTPDBqe6
Tomorrow, she'd tell Nick.30Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYhKPDNcKMu
Maybe then, they'd figure out what this all meant.30Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1Y7V7zWnVn
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.30Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2lsnXtX6g3
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.30Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIpbVscTQWs
Nick was already there when she arrived, standing near the water's edge, absently tossing small rocks into the surf.30Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWHmedOMkr5
"Hey," she called, pulling her bag higher on her shoulder.30Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHDmbs3gSMx
Nick turned, giving her a once-over like he was checking for something. Weird.30Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBD6E5U2mC8
"Hey," he said. "You good?"30Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFqyvCOxdvm
She hesitated. Should I even say anything? It was probably nothing. Just her mind playing tricks on her. But then again...30Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡg5fjtEUJOq
"I don't know," she admitted. "Last night, I had this weird feeling. Like I was being watched."30Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBb4ZtI8byT
That got his attention. He straightened, his easygoing expression shifting to something more serious. "Watched?"30Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkRMeq3EpG9
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."30Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQJ6TPlxWkn
Nick's jaw tightened slightly, and his gaze flicked past her, scanning the area as if expecting to catch someone lurking in the dunes.30Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1LxEromhg3
"You see anything?" he asked, his voice quieter now.
"No. Just felt it."30Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWP5XjaolLV
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?"30Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWGNJUqihIp
Chrissy shrugged. "I mean, I think so."30Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRdv7kKtpz2
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?"30Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjSSpZ29w8m
"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."30Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDLAaEUvep5
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.30Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhbYSH2g8TN
Maybe she had imagined it.30Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2ILKqFdsFI
But if that was true... why did Nick look like he wasn't so sure?30Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡErRA5ECneb
