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.150Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVOPPDfjbTI
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.150Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzufIYZVV3k
"Finally," Maddie teased as Chrissy dropped onto the sand. "We were about to send a search party."150Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAozymsskKz
Chrissy rolled her eyes, catching her breath. "Overslept." She reached for the book. "Anything interesting?"150Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtZU1PT4kk3
Maddie's eyes gleamed. "More than interesting. Listen to this." She cleared her throat and read aloud:150Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡln7MohmEZt
"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."150Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyn8mt1JTPC
Chrissy shivered despite the warm breeze. "Sounds like the lighthouse story."150Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvysBMGp1jA
Nick nodded. "The townspeople thought she was a mermaid. That's why they wanted the lighthouse keeper to give her up."150Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKXIeqEz4LP
Maddie snapped the book shut. "And that means we need to go to the lighthouse."150Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpWczCNxNNq
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.150Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxlm3ffTPBU
"We have to," she said, surprising even herself. "If there are answers, they're there."150Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡT3FLenILGs
Nick sighed. "I was afraid you'd say that."150Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzHqxzx3yHK
The Lighthouse Exploration150Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡq2LjJwi3GA
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.150Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcRlLTPgb14
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.150Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaZLmCH2swV
"This place is straight-up haunted," Maddie whispered, running a hand along the peeling wallpaper.150Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmzr7BXRFj5
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.150Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgczkT8pmks
"A Bible?" she murmured.150Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQDmBxN2bMX
Nick, who had been rummaging through a nearby cabinet, glanced over. "Weird place to leave it."150Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfb80Lz9lil
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.150Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5F0zpy6PQW
Nick bent down and picked it up. His expression shifted from confusion to shock as he turned the picture toward Chrissy.150Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhOksZ02Mvk
"Uh... is this you?"150Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHbGfzxmL9x
Chrissy frowned, reaching for it. But the moment she saw the image, her breath hitched.150Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRhRKZ5DtoS
The woman in the photograph wasn't her. And yet... she could have been.150Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5zScAS1NF8
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.150Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6JP451D1b7
Chrissy turned the photo over. Scribbled on the back, barely legible, were the letters: S & J.150Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhY9YUTiyCP
Maddie peered over her shoulder. "Who's 'S & J'?"150Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbwPthjVdnG
Chrissy didn't answer. Her heart pounded as she stared at the image, the lighthouse's eerie silence pressing in around them.150Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡN7PQ3ZKwRp
She wasn't sure what she'd been hoping to find here. But this... this was something more.150Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmVMkI15JhR
Something personal.150Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlmdgRRFolc
Something unsettling.150Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqZy4Jd6Yc7
And she had no idea what it meant. 150Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡotZOhJemNe
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.150Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlgPz3PUOKk
Why did she look like her?150Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMUCFwz26nv
Why did she feel like the lighthouse was calling her?150Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVwgeT3BTfc
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.150Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5R4F8t9qRh
Like someone was watching.150Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvzBcdCZXDG
She sat up quickly, heart pounding, and forced herself to look outside. Nothing. Just the trees swaying in the wind.150Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvVVkzp6yQW
Still, she couldn't shake the unease.150Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡC9y61UymQj
Tomorrow, she'd tell Nick.150Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡt6pRKL6UxD
Maybe then, they'd figure out what this all meant.150Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhqwB7KqHaY
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.150Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡi8egEkyqHQ
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.150Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfBMrC0ZER9
Nick was already there when she arrived, standing near the water's edge, absently tossing small rocks into the surf.150Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCfdVzJVBa0
"Hey," she called, pulling her bag higher on her shoulder.150Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡifmp8lkPTz
Nick turned, giving her a once-over like he was checking for something. Weird.150Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡA5KVieZLth
"Hey," he said. "You good?"150Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuAKnCckKOM
She hesitated. Should I even say anything? It was probably nothing. Just her mind playing tricks on her. But then again...150Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCN4KjahoX0
"I don't know," she admitted. "Last night, I had this weird feeling. Like I was being watched."150Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPu1pGfKI3U
That got his attention. He straightened, his easygoing expression shifting to something more serious. "Watched?"150Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjOSBdzZxE6
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."150Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdqWuvDMbWi
Nick's jaw tightened slightly, and his gaze flicked past her, scanning the area as if expecting to catch someone lurking in the dunes.150Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtsX3UKnj97
"You see anything?" he asked, his voice quieter now.
"No. Just felt it."150Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ94DHjMk6I2
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?"150Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡc7FylX2WdM
Chrissy shrugged. "I mean, I think so."150Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgFhpVCTxk8
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?"150Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpn15gwFLth
"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."150Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKcIThWJ7ki
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.150Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡalNFJKIf89
Maybe she had imagined it.150Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYN0KAcbDI6
But if that was true... why did Nick look like he wasn't so sure?150Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQ3QEKUKTbX
