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.120Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkeGAMvqytl
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.120Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZ5Im5aV5lO
"Finally," Maddie teased as Chrissy dropped onto the sand. "We were about to send a search party."120Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6ARNFGyAz7
Chrissy rolled her eyes, catching her breath. "Overslept." She reached for the book. "Anything interesting?"120Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWFvN6b9DPM
Maddie's eyes gleamed. "More than interesting. Listen to this." She cleared her throat and read aloud:120Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8WHzt28e06
"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."120Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGOc0Iqge00
Chrissy shivered despite the warm breeze. "Sounds like the lighthouse story."120Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTJBATw3Orq
Nick nodded. "The townspeople thought she was a mermaid. That's why they wanted the lighthouse keeper to give her up."120Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEOYfOT3J5B
Maddie snapped the book shut. "And that means we need to go to the lighthouse."120Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLyFTIlyYbN
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.120Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoBkxExmoRn
"We have to," she said, surprising even herself. "If there are answers, they're there."120Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWl15rBHYSf
Nick sighed. "I was afraid you'd say that."120Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLi3TGDqfrL
The Lighthouse Exploration120Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZB2HZcVE7k
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.120Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡa8JeEAoomj
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.120Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMLG7wVyVYg
"This place is straight-up haunted," Maddie whispered, running a hand along the peeling wallpaper.120Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCcK05k8RGA
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.120Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9S6uFmEmZ6
"A Bible?" she murmured.120Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGPSgTKQIwk
Nick, who had been rummaging through a nearby cabinet, glanced over. "Weird place to leave it."120Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXBQ7TZShfu
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.120Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzfA6GCWxqa
Nick bent down and picked it up. His expression shifted from confusion to shock as he turned the picture toward Chrissy.120Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRgeJjXVubb
"Uh... is this you?"120Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡE0Rm73PIz2
Chrissy frowned, reaching for it. But the moment she saw the image, her breath hitched.120Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjEDNEOlPc6
The woman in the photograph wasn't her. And yet... she could have been.120Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHHUSluomcq
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.120Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡy24x32ZUES
Chrissy turned the photo over. Scribbled on the back, barely legible, were the letters: S & J.120Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRq9VROuZyx
Maddie peered over her shoulder. "Who's 'S & J'?"120Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKmGw81ahO4
Chrissy didn't answer. Her heart pounded as she stared at the image, the lighthouse's eerie silence pressing in around them.120Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqJrSqix4xY
She wasn't sure what she'd been hoping to find here. But this... this was something more.120Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJ1A2RBsWT0
Something personal.120Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYqblXiWDYr
Something unsettling.120Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡb4a0QKGERJ
And she had no idea what it meant. 120Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5fx0ev0Zuo
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.120Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡD2Ix9OfMXm
Why did she look like her?120Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuyc2siUM7R
Why did she feel like the lighthouse was calling her?120Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ96MGhU6wmG
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.120Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡy8GI88pQ7g
Like someone was watching.120Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡErVpIxESjH
She sat up quickly, heart pounding, and forced herself to look outside. Nothing. Just the trees swaying in the wind.120Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwnZ0W4I9Cy
Still, she couldn't shake the unease.120Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡB925LZArb6
Tomorrow, she'd tell Nick.120Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡs4aRLC1tbl
Maybe then, they'd figure out what this all meant.120Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4r6Z5BUTR2
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.120Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfAr4pkgkZa
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.120Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡn8ftZnMZMM
Nick was already there when she arrived, standing near the water's edge, absently tossing small rocks into the surf.120Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8EBJigA55G
"Hey," she called, pulling her bag higher on her shoulder.120Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1PrxIeYzhK
Nick turned, giving her a once-over like he was checking for something. Weird.120Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhw3sN4f5Qr
"Hey," he said. "You good?"120Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFntg2Pidiu
She hesitated. Should I even say anything? It was probably nothing. Just her mind playing tricks on her. But then again...120Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnSJnWkZAPI
"I don't know," she admitted. "Last night, I had this weird feeling. Like I was being watched."120Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIaaL0q7jjY
That got his attention. He straightened, his easygoing expression shifting to something more serious. "Watched?"120Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmHm2mIxRJJ
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."120Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGlPTT2SEZO
Nick's jaw tightened slightly, and his gaze flicked past her, scanning the area as if expecting to catch someone lurking in the dunes.120Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZE6sHjwjmJ
"You see anything?" he asked, his voice quieter now.
"No. Just felt it."120Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2wtJUwNCCo
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?"120Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJfB6RdzaWm
Chrissy shrugged. "I mean, I think so."120Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLrlLqvkXfh
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?"120Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIhhxomVmXa
"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."120Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1rH8Hqov68
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.120Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTMtQ960T1t
Maybe she had imagined it.120Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKrbNjPvYnd
But if that was true... why did Nick look like he wasn't so sure?120Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡH6jaOxhtRx
