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.246Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPC1cegEXqF
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.246Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡG8PbS963FK
"Finally," Maddie teased as Chrissy dropped onto the sand. "We were about to send a search party."246Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpRyJWmvb6u
Chrissy rolled her eyes, catching her breath. "Overslept." She reached for the book. "Anything interesting?"246Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ10Jshel4lK
Maddie's eyes gleamed. "More than interesting. Listen to this." She cleared her throat and read aloud:246Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoVIKlEam8a
"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."246Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFBNeZyLowG
Chrissy shivered despite the warm breeze. "Sounds like the lighthouse story."246Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOSIftuaQJE
Nick nodded. "The townspeople thought she was a mermaid. That's why they wanted the lighthouse keeper to give her up."246Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsdRjPJAmfG
Maddie snapped the book shut. "And that means we need to go to the lighthouse."246Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNtKdned2o7
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.246Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDBPz60kBxg
"We have to," she said, surprising even herself. "If there are answers, they're there."246Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjf4teCi3T8
Nick sighed. "I was afraid you'd say that."246Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRG3Rl38Wu1
The Lighthouse Exploration246Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmwyyRd0pR2
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.246Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡExri8HenhD
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.246Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡo0y3r4X3tF
"This place is straight-up haunted," Maddie whispered, running a hand along the peeling wallpaper.246Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnWcqWFZPEE
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.246Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlr0fuRcFJ6
"A Bible?" she murmured.246Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtbCKyDPdXO
Nick, who had been rummaging through a nearby cabinet, glanced over. "Weird place to leave it."246Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4mZbBPhwaH
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.246Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6MvLE71vqb
Nick bent down and picked it up. His expression shifted from confusion to shock as he turned the picture toward Chrissy.246Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYemYMpamE8
"Uh... is this you?"246Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMMFbrIntOc
Chrissy frowned, reaching for it. But the moment she saw the image, her breath hitched.246Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhBwjhJDL5E
The woman in the photograph wasn't her. And yet... she could have been.246Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEAf0heirDv
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.246Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNrWPOG6KXk
Chrissy turned the photo over. Scribbled on the back, barely legible, were the letters: S & J.246Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡq5lBW3tKeO
Maddie peered over her shoulder. "Who's 'S & J'?"246Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxX2tbmumMu
Chrissy didn't answer. Her heart pounded as she stared at the image, the lighthouse's eerie silence pressing in around them.246Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡg7oqYzxAHk
She wasn't sure what she'd been hoping to find here. But this... this was something more.246Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡauxR7R1eVK
Something personal.246Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡctsPl15mVF
Something unsettling.246Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡB7P9UQtwCn
And she had no idea what it meant. 246Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4VQiLPMOxK
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.246Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtrQy6Q09tZ
Why did she look like her?246Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡV5CJG3zbRi
Why did she feel like the lighthouse was calling her?246Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡS9lgQNjXB2
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.246Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqPxSCp8rsk
Like someone was watching.246Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9kA1U2Z5hg
She sat up quickly, heart pounding, and forced herself to look outside. Nothing. Just the trees swaying in the wind.246Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZVwHGVCdNq
Still, she couldn't shake the unease.246Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡr6OzNCLmyD
Tomorrow, she'd tell Nick.246Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡByp0lhwK1q
Maybe then, they'd figure out what this all meant.246Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjpkeyNqkRh
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.246Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWAMGQ5Ed1n
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.246Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyGNciN4ylX
Nick was already there when she arrived, standing near the water's edge, absently tossing small rocks into the surf.246Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJai1rrOyUc
"Hey," she called, pulling her bag higher on her shoulder.246Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGKVqgnxZZU
Nick turned, giving her a once-over like he was checking for something. Weird.246Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡC60o59vXRm
"Hey," he said. "You good?"246Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4YakLBFIQq
She hesitated. Should I even say anything? It was probably nothing. Just her mind playing tricks on her. But then again...246Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡf08plgWwub
"I don't know," she admitted. "Last night, I had this weird feeling. Like I was being watched."246Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNbhcpDQdrx
That got his attention. He straightened, his easygoing expression shifting to something more serious. "Watched?"246Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡN7uOTrIMlk
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."246Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxcISJS5hrz
Nick's jaw tightened slightly, and his gaze flicked past her, scanning the area as if expecting to catch someone lurking in the dunes.246Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkCuD0KwXfN
"You see anything?" he asked, his voice quieter now.
"No. Just felt it."246Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡp3CA2wyk4I
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?"246Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡapZBzJ3eqU
Chrissy shrugged. "I mean, I think so."246Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAXTft34M8s
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?"246Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡK6piAEbcq8
"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."246Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0twFpW1352
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.246Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ545ACjJr8w
Maybe she had imagined it.246Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBOP5VzuCoO
But if that was true... why did Nick look like he wasn't so sure?246Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzDlovfSE2n
