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.257Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUtTzj0Iqym
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.257Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQu06RceMLz
"Finally," Maddie teased as Chrissy dropped onto the sand. "We were about to send a search party."257Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdfSvIrR36F
Chrissy rolled her eyes, catching her breath. "Overslept." She reached for the book. "Anything interesting?"257Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvmYAqIQdAj
Maddie's eyes gleamed. "More than interesting. Listen to this." She cleared her throat and read aloud:257Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGiaZpU6ids
"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."257Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZRi4sgeFG3
Chrissy shivered despite the warm breeze. "Sounds like the lighthouse story."257Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7P1ny3v8Y1
Nick nodded. "The townspeople thought she was a mermaid. That's why they wanted the lighthouse keeper to give her up."257Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡa36A9o3K37
Maddie snapped the book shut. "And that means we need to go to the lighthouse."257Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡENDLymeASo
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.257Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTgVr89aOGP
"We have to," she said, surprising even herself. "If there are answers, they're there."257Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡh0OWr9lWL6
Nick sighed. "I was afraid you'd say that."257Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUFNhQaYDGD
The Lighthouse Exploration257Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuqnyobLUye
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.257Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡu28m4Q7Ral
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.257Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1PcCsb7yJ9
"This place is straight-up haunted," Maddie whispered, running a hand along the peeling wallpaper.257Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0sQFfefKB9
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.257Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoqMhEx3tj4
"A Bible?" she murmured.257Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmCVU05UE3q
Nick, who had been rummaging through a nearby cabinet, glanced over. "Weird place to leave it."257Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9WXhZhKq09
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.257Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnovpnBQ7UB
Nick bent down and picked it up. His expression shifted from confusion to shock as he turned the picture toward Chrissy.257Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUQYEHqF8CF
"Uh... is this you?"257Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgqfa8ZDAxL
Chrissy frowned, reaching for it. But the moment she saw the image, her breath hitched.257Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEfwUFPkEvk
The woman in the photograph wasn't her. And yet... she could have been.257Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaVPpqQeCMX
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.257Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlXnH2osrGF
Chrissy turned the photo over. Scribbled on the back, barely legible, were the letters: S & J.257Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWfxndvVqfQ
Maddie peered over her shoulder. "Who's 'S & J'?"257Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsGhtr44MTZ
Chrissy didn't answer. Her heart pounded as she stared at the image, the lighthouse's eerie silence pressing in around them.257Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡm0s62hr15D
She wasn't sure what she'd been hoping to find here. But this... this was something more.257Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCge9ANIVVg
Something personal.257Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjemxVjIR3H
Something unsettling.257Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGo3mQPd6xz
And she had no idea what it meant. 257Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡspasHcvwOC
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.257Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXMDoocs6z1
Why did she look like her?257Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0uw8W3gZIC
Why did she feel like the lighthouse was calling her?257Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡB6FIdKM1Mg
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.257Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRvn4df52PJ
Like someone was watching.257Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMfFlBCOLlt
She sat up quickly, heart pounding, and forced herself to look outside. Nothing. Just the trees swaying in the wind.257Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyfDEuYjqoE
Still, she couldn't shake the unease.257Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRFW9UlxqHl
Tomorrow, she'd tell Nick.257Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrUovZgWJau
Maybe then, they'd figure out what this all meant.257Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡouHxPQ1YxA
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.257Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSfvCvOa9LZ
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.257Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzmLgEsC8qc
Nick was already there when she arrived, standing near the water's edge, absently tossing small rocks into the surf.257Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJnubp5RTk6
"Hey," she called, pulling her bag higher on her shoulder.257Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqtBR5Edwdp
Nick turned, giving her a once-over like he was checking for something. Weird.257Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPYIYTPAqgZ
"Hey," he said. "You good?"257Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5XxuJV8xBz
She hesitated. Should I even say anything? It was probably nothing. Just her mind playing tricks on her. But then again...257Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡO1Ca7hQOnO
"I don't know," she admitted. "Last night, I had this weird feeling. Like I was being watched."257Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEZ0tr7KPLZ
That got his attention. He straightened, his easygoing expression shifting to something more serious. "Watched?"257Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvvIwLi7M5M
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."257Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxfWbL0wAGR
Nick's jaw tightened slightly, and his gaze flicked past her, scanning the area as if expecting to catch someone lurking in the dunes.257Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZDbUmTUEz6
"You see anything?" he asked, his voice quieter now.
"No. Just felt it."257Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmMPbDPFbRD
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?"257Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKmsZQePEmH
Chrissy shrugged. "I mean, I think so."257Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7DaiBjsCt1
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?"257Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhpgLHvVea0
"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."257Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUMkn7XxLPu
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.257Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJGunbk0oax
Maybe she had imagined it.257Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAKbP6AmboH
But if that was true... why did Nick look like he wasn't so sure?257Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5BC6Sokf5R
