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.209Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRWSBN1xLK2
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.209Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqcRqCaL0P2
"Finally," Maddie teased as Chrissy dropped onto the sand. "We were about to send a search party."209Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuXp9sOYyxp
Chrissy rolled her eyes, catching her breath. "Overslept." She reached for the book. "Anything interesting?"209Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrkgfhHmZO9
Maddie's eyes gleamed. "More than interesting. Listen to this." She cleared her throat and read aloud:209Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPEu81Z2If2
"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."209Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrqkou4YqRZ
Chrissy shivered despite the warm breeze. "Sounds like the lighthouse story."209Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXxDxIZTA33
Nick nodded. "The townspeople thought she was a mermaid. That's why they wanted the lighthouse keeper to give her up."209Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDazZrZionh
Maddie snapped the book shut. "And that means we need to go to the lighthouse."209Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYkibNzrhTX
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.209Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwH2F4mebKl
"We have to," she said, surprising even herself. "If there are answers, they're there."209Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7v7Tl3B57q
Nick sighed. "I was afraid you'd say that."209Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2Wfu9Xzxgh
The Lighthouse Exploration209Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSBgte15Rd6
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.209Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBrGYWrMuwM
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.209Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLoKmxVl6cM
"This place is straight-up haunted," Maddie whispered, running a hand along the peeling wallpaper.209Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpEmm3BOKGY
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.209Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXY0RUeAz6J
"A Bible?" she murmured.209Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1UjkiPQTJU
Nick, who had been rummaging through a nearby cabinet, glanced over. "Weird place to leave it."209Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3IRVYNDmlY
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.209Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJBoAp4XCk8
Nick bent down and picked it up. His expression shifted from confusion to shock as he turned the picture toward Chrissy.209Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbo3cIjR0v0
"Uh... is this you?"209Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡO6X2jQxKDi
Chrissy frowned, reaching for it. But the moment she saw the image, her breath hitched.209Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8zhjyLLTgv
The woman in the photograph wasn't her. And yet... she could have been.209Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3b7unsZrbX
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.209Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmB3IzhOgQv
Chrissy turned the photo over. Scribbled on the back, barely legible, were the letters: S & J.209Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8l8pUnbzya
Maddie peered over her shoulder. "Who's 'S & J'?"209Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhnRTykp7Ti
Chrissy didn't answer. Her heart pounded as she stared at the image, the lighthouse's eerie silence pressing in around them.209Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDrsIfAmFEt
She wasn't sure what she'd been hoping to find here. But this... this was something more.209Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhZW779APbJ
Something personal.209Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPE78sztkYa
Something unsettling.209Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6YVhAgN1HF
And she had no idea what it meant. 209Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbUcOGWkWMk
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.209Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfnBO53AtEt
Why did she look like her?209Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyXOUnckwBn
Why did she feel like the lighthouse was calling her?209Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcPfXr6qRLg
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.209Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8XlvZKraHt
Like someone was watching.209Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMshMBkpbW0
She sat up quickly, heart pounding, and forced herself to look outside. Nothing. Just the trees swaying in the wind.209Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCM5HLoR2ou
Still, she couldn't shake the unease.209Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwyFz1sQoL5
Tomorrow, she'd tell Nick.209Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2Lc78oZShv
Maybe then, they'd figure out what this all meant.209Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡY7vmoBDF39
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.209Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡN0UGpBUJxE
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.209Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjXvOBvuLhY
Nick was already there when she arrived, standing near the water's edge, absently tossing small rocks into the surf.209Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9PQteopooJ
"Hey," she called, pulling her bag higher on her shoulder.209Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUhmDeaX2AO
Nick turned, giving her a once-over like he was checking for something. Weird.209Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOdHAbm9tiY
"Hey," he said. "You good?"209Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6DyysmDh7w
She hesitated. Should I even say anything? It was probably nothing. Just her mind playing tricks on her. But then again...209Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRFLLsHhZoh
"I don't know," she admitted. "Last night, I had this weird feeling. Like I was being watched."209Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjHNeIagAzC
That got his attention. He straightened, his easygoing expression shifting to something more serious. "Watched?"209Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnGjjSPiTO7
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."209Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBKUt1GYsO5
Nick's jaw tightened slightly, and his gaze flicked past her, scanning the area as if expecting to catch someone lurking in the dunes.209Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgFjUW0HxW3
"You see anything?" he asked, his voice quieter now.
"No. Just felt it."209Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ76Iiz8Wjva
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?"209Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡH6W0j4rEUb
Chrissy shrugged. "I mean, I think so."209Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJooBLG1cd6
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?"209Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBVRFMJXLxU
"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."209Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLs9I8ZQH9K
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.209Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡR8O8LNEaZ8
Maybe she had imagined it.209Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCSoDS4MsoN
But if that was true... why did Nick look like he wasn't so sure?209Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWIj0gde1jf
