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.36Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzl3K8G2D4h
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.36Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvzy3PhA4OW
"Finally," Maddie teased as Chrissy dropped onto the sand. "We were about to send a search party."36Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6fOh96JKZt
Chrissy rolled her eyes, catching her breath. "Overslept." She reached for the book. "Anything interesting?"36Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXXtZWa9Iyz
Maddie's eyes gleamed. "More than interesting. Listen to this." She cleared her throat and read aloud:36Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXoZKu6ucT3
"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."36Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUOFL9sQZNd
Chrissy shivered despite the warm breeze. "Sounds like the lighthouse story."36Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbgHlbRZD0I
Nick nodded. "The townspeople thought she was a mermaid. That's why they wanted the lighthouse keeper to give her up."36Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0xJ86R1u9c
Maddie snapped the book shut. "And that means we need to go to the lighthouse."36Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIz0XSg6Thw
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.36Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXRCwypzdBp
"We have to," she said, surprising even herself. "If there are answers, they're there."36Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGyPXliR3NA
Nick sighed. "I was afraid you'd say that."36Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnGZIb3Yipf
The Lighthouse Exploration36Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6imCHn5VlE
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.36Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWS5J6Vobe9
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.36Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNeVgGgnvbq
"This place is straight-up haunted," Maddie whispered, running a hand along the peeling wallpaper.36Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSVrLpFWRtP
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.36Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkxdLvjuwCk
"A Bible?" she murmured.36Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTO7ovOkCCg
Nick, who had been rummaging through a nearby cabinet, glanced over. "Weird place to leave it."36Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2LtNDIv9s0
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.36Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡf3n7wM9Orv
Nick bent down and picked it up. His expression shifted from confusion to shock as he turned the picture toward Chrissy.36Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfDi3doFpev
"Uh... is this you?"36Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0SgXSJFaNl
Chrissy frowned, reaching for it. But the moment she saw the image, her breath hitched.36Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNWcna1fuzn
The woman in the photograph wasn't her. And yet... she could have been.36Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡutnQ31s8up
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.36Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7JCIoMKFON
Chrissy turned the photo over. Scribbled on the back, barely legible, were the letters: S & J.36Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbK1jyf0xlk
Maddie peered over her shoulder. "Who's 'S & J'?"36Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnMfxAbBTBs
Chrissy didn't answer. Her heart pounded as she stared at the image, the lighthouse's eerie silence pressing in around them.36Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzQ0tHptByW
She wasn't sure what she'd been hoping to find here. But this... this was something more.36Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmXALHtchHZ
Something personal.36Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡX2ry0CB7XC
Something unsettling.36Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjWj7yxjcha
And she had no idea what it meant. 36Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEstSJ2w9zC
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.36Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeyChgway8m
Why did she look like her?36Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrfAugBppiE
Why did she feel like the lighthouse was calling her?36Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiHtCewJWB2
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.36Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡujtqrA7qwn
Like someone was watching.36Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAaAePjbMZt
She sat up quickly, heart pounding, and forced herself to look outside. Nothing. Just the trees swaying in the wind.36Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPepbHhSVp2
Still, she couldn't shake the unease.36Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrOcpXp42h3
Tomorrow, she'd tell Nick.36Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQ2zsFAW9RU
Maybe then, they'd figure out what this all meant.36Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlGUKXFBiT5
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.36Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcT9eQnHeIF
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.36Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqoE6n9cUeK
Nick was already there when she arrived, standing near the water's edge, absently tossing small rocks into the surf.36Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡS3SilpBVxd
"Hey," she called, pulling her bag higher on her shoulder.36Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTa5DfsJJYy
Nick turned, giving her a once-over like he was checking for something. Weird.36Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡx2gXxofkky
"Hey," he said. "You good?"36Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ14nmtdltx8
She hesitated. Should I even say anything? It was probably nothing. Just her mind playing tricks on her. But then again...36Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5CGnpFKebS
"I don't know," she admitted. "Last night, I had this weird feeling. Like I was being watched."36Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpKZx9r5RuB
That got his attention. He straightened, his easygoing expression shifting to something more serious. "Watched?"36Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIfXZGeeOqb
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."36Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGXJymfmZpw
Nick's jaw tightened slightly, and his gaze flicked past her, scanning the area as if expecting to catch someone lurking in the dunes.36Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMHWAmevtL6
"You see anything?" he asked, his voice quieter now.
"No. Just felt it."36Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQBheGbskB1
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?"36Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTKqZut9IO1
Chrissy shrugged. "I mean, I think so."36Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPoz9Rd63p6
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?"36Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡucPO3UW4FW
"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."36Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡR7euYahlLz
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.36Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtSR2Db4yUy
Maybe she had imagined it.36Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAMrz5xVGvL
But if that was true... why did Nick look like he wasn't so sure?36Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZXk1xppCb0
