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.93Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgo5IAxbDG3
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.93Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuPyNccNuu1
"Finally," Maddie teased as Chrissy dropped onto the sand. "We were about to send a search party."93Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhdvDeBm7oF
Chrissy rolled her eyes, catching her breath. "Overslept." She reached for the book. "Anything interesting?"93Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJoC963LO0U
Maddie's eyes gleamed. "More than interesting. Listen to this." She cleared her throat and read aloud:93Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGjvfSSp5Lv
"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."93Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3X4lPnwNkd
Chrissy shivered despite the warm breeze. "Sounds like the lighthouse story."93Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡz2lSQ84iPh
Nick nodded. "The townspeople thought she was a mermaid. That's why they wanted the lighthouse keeper to give her up."93Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzz2fG9MUZ7
Maddie snapped the book shut. "And that means we need to go to the lighthouse."93Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgkBwiMVsTS
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.93Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKCkRF11pcV
"We have to," she said, surprising even herself. "If there are answers, they're there."93Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqWKp2PjFkk
Nick sighed. "I was afraid you'd say that."93Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡw8G4ws66L6
The Lighthouse Exploration93Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡF6mT6GEBVn
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.93Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmZ3ruurxtq
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.93Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwh7U323vVk
"This place is straight-up haunted," Maddie whispered, running a hand along the peeling wallpaper.93Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOEGB7Br0DS
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.93Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡepGD6fuibd
"A Bible?" she murmured.93Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOJPmRSFpB5
Nick, who had been rummaging through a nearby cabinet, glanced over. "Weird place to leave it."93Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4ahlZGtjDP
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.93Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMDPljp1UCQ
Nick bent down and picked it up. His expression shifted from confusion to shock as he turned the picture toward Chrissy.93Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡy1lnzp5KqO
"Uh... is this you?"93Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfcRZDqTf5t
Chrissy frowned, reaching for it. But the moment she saw the image, her breath hitched.93Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGdtTHdmfGh
The woman in the photograph wasn't her. And yet... she could have been.93Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡz3zPFNReVg
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.93Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡy4ntWhJMne
Chrissy turned the photo over. Scribbled on the back, barely legible, were the letters: S & J.93Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5XKkAB35tW
Maddie peered over her shoulder. "Who's 'S & J'?"93Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCXeaiGIZ4t
Chrissy didn't answer. Her heart pounded as she stared at the image, the lighthouse's eerie silence pressing in around them.93Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlMio9JIKfm
She wasn't sure what she'd been hoping to find here. But this... this was something more.93Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZJyNpCAIQm
Something personal.93Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjA13mHfP5s
Something unsettling.93Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSxanNbkwud
And she had no idea what it meant. 93Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwVqxQruzZi
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.93Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyLYi2Y56AZ
Why did she look like her?93Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfp6cBHLIDg
Why did she feel like the lighthouse was calling her?93Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4I8gAuUdah
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.93Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBvpboqYXx3
Like someone was watching.93Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLbuZJsF7EP
She sat up quickly, heart pounding, and forced herself to look outside. Nothing. Just the trees swaying in the wind.93Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡq9dwXHXBdv
Still, she couldn't shake the unease.93Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJVW2nmDWx2
Tomorrow, she'd tell Nick.93Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ83skY8BlJx
Maybe then, they'd figure out what this all meant.93Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡz3d4PCHCrb
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.93Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcc2tvLmDfy
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.93Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwdw90W2bvs
Nick was already there when she arrived, standing near the water's edge, absently tossing small rocks into the surf.93Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqDlqdeZQfo
"Hey," she called, pulling her bag higher on her shoulder.93Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiSx9Xof8Dg
Nick turned, giving her a once-over like he was checking for something. Weird.93Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2DnPcCCDgl
"Hey," he said. "You good?"93Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkvVqkq4n8E
She hesitated. Should I even say anything? It was probably nothing. Just her mind playing tricks on her. But then again...93Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBrxDSVo58A
"I don't know," she admitted. "Last night, I had this weird feeling. Like I was being watched."93Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUu6TCOEWRi
That got his attention. He straightened, his easygoing expression shifting to something more serious. "Watched?"93Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ38khXKdqKl
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."93Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJV4DL3VO8I
Nick's jaw tightened slightly, and his gaze flicked past her, scanning the area as if expecting to catch someone lurking in the dunes.93Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3eEMpIqT7p
"You see anything?" he asked, his voice quieter now.
"No. Just felt it."93Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOJlCblByMU
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?"93Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdTPXJms1Mo
Chrissy shrugged. "I mean, I think so."93Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡp6uAYmeqlx
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?"93Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjPdDqkJdpF
"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."93Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDdyllayHBk
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.93Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcb3le3FmuA
Maybe she had imagined it.93Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkBexCu4e7A
But if that was true... why did Nick look like he wasn't so sure?93Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAGKXTw7EY3
