Chapter 4: Echoes of the Past
The scent of fresh coffee and baked muffins filled the air as Chrissy stepped into the Book Nook. The cozy shop was quiet this morning, a few locals scattered at tables flipping through books. At a corner booth near the window, Maddie and Lacy were already waiting, a steaming cup of coffee and a blueberry muffin set out for Chrissy.107Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUT7tMaIKxk
"Alright," Maddie said, leaning forward as Chrissy slid into the seat. "What happened last night? You said you felt like you were being watched?"107Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡX9I1XyJug1
Chrissy wrapped her hands around the warm coffee cup, her fingers tightening slightly. "I don't know if I was just imagining things, but after I got home, I kept looking at that photograph." She hesitated, her voice lowering. "And I swear... I felt something. Like someone was there, watching me."107Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡg4GdrocWGb
Lacy's eyes lit up with intrigue. "That's classic ghost story material. A connection to the past, an old legend, mysterious signs—it all fits."107Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡh5OfprmoWu
Nick, who had arrived just as she said that, scoffed. "Or someone's actually watching her, and that's a real problem." His tone was serious, and he glanced out the shop window like he expected to see someone lurking.107Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCPPNaZNZQo
Chrissy sighed. "I don't know what to think. But I know one thing—there's something more to that lighthouse, to this whole legend."107Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPX8lEwUM32
Before Maddie could respond, the bell above the door jingled, and an older man stepped inside, carrying a small stack of books.107Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkQxmW5C4SO
Chrissy immediately recognized him.107Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTuhQfXbRAh
The historian.107Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0UQiez9APk
She barely had time to process his presence before he turned—and froze. His eyes locked onto her, his grip on the books tightening.107Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0X4orOteEp
For a long second, no one spoke.107Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqJIqijAVyw
Then, as if snapping out of a daze, the historian spun toward the counter, but in his rush, he dropped the books. The sound echoed through the quiet shop.107Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtvbkrlzo3w
Maddie immediately jumped up to help, bending down to pick up the scattered books. "Here, let me—"107Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgbTauIKjZa
"I've got it," the historian snapped, snatching them up before she could touch them. His voice was tight, his movements stiff.107Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1wDTwL5AB0
Maddie frowned, taken aback by his rudeness, but before anyone could say anything else, he muttered a hurried "Excuse me" and strode out the door, nearly knocking into a display on his way out.107Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡepndnIER11
They all watched him go.107Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6RowX7FqpT
"Well, that wasn't weird at all," Maddie muttered, brushing dust from her hands.107Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnU1FI0fa7S
Chrissy stayed quiet, replaying the way he had looked at her—like he had seen a ghost.107Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNSz0jIijq0
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The encounter with the historian left Chrissy restless. She needed answers.107Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTc0CJi3CY6
Lacy helped them gather a stack of old newspapers, genealogy records, and even a few yearbooks from the town's archives, hoping they could find anything related to the lighthouse keeper, the historian, or the mysterious woman in the photograph.107Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhZEQhSHbSP
Flipping through a yearbook from decades ago, Maddie suddenly stopped. "Wait."107Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWEnYK9vMnt
Chrissy and Nick leaned in.107Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWAXf2EBQ6c
Maddie pointed to a black-and-white photo of a group of boys sitting at a long table in what looked like a school library. Underneath the image, a caption listed their names.107Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKs11zfyP32
One stood out immediately.107Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡajpN5Xf5aV
James Whitaker.107Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQP757rS865
Nick's eyes widened. "That's the lighthouse keeper."107Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmALc3LkQoH
But it was the boy next to him that sent a chill down Chrissy's spine. He was younger, but the resemblance was clear.107Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlZX7eGoBNP
"That's him," she whispered. "That's the historian."107Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkRI09CfMvq
The name beneath the boy's image read: Nathaniel Whitaker.107Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoRbDJi7TWG
"They're brothers," Maddie murmured.107Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfUQqV7Mxak
Chrissy leaned back in her chair, her mind racing. The historian—Nathaniel—was directly connected to the lighthouse. He had to know something.107Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpqCPHy7HJz
"We need to talk to him," Nick said.107Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqp5otKU6HM
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Tracking Nathaniel down wasn't difficult. After asking around town, they learned he worked at an antique shop near the harbor, one that specialized in shipwreck artifacts.107Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiufSwNGWVK
When they arrived, the shop was dimly lit, the air thick with the scent of salt and old wood. Glass cases displayed rusted coins, compasses crusted with years of sea decay, and delicate shells that looked almost too perfect to be real.107Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKfoihsvzBx
But it was the centerpiece that caught Chrissy's attention.107Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡruQCNO1x9R
A small, metal replica of the lighthouse. Rusted and aged, it sat on a wooden shelf, standing no taller than a foot. But despite its worn condition, there was something strikingly familiar about it.107Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡm9HQm6A5v1
"You interested in that?"107Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAfTg0NaM6L
Chrissy turned to find Nathaniel standing behind the counter, watching her. His voice was unreadable, carefully neutral.107Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLjSdDr10Ol
Chrissy hesitated, then pointed to the lighthouse replica. "That belonged to your brother, didn't it?"107Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeidtebNrv0
A flicker of something crossed his face, but it was gone in an instant.107Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdpOOUpjVtB
"I restore antiques," he said curtly. "It's just an old piece."107Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡb9amPAuYk6
Nick crossed his arms. "It looks exactly like the lighthouse James worked at."107Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtnYT3DLCWf
Nathaniel ignored him.107Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsgPgtaI6eb
Chrissy reached into her bag, pulling out the photograph from the lighthouse. She turned it toward him, pointing at the necklace around the woman's neck. "Do you know anything about this?"107Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡO2u07GGkzx
Nathaniel barely looked at it before replying, "No."107Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQ503T7PL5x
Chrissy narrowed her eyes. "You didn't even—"107Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡu4SWzBcNHs
"I said no." His tone was sharp now, final.107Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHM5tpUxTdI
Maddie raised an eyebrow. "You sure? You look like you've seen that necklace before."107Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1PSDV5Uhod
Nathaniel's jaw tightened. For a long moment, it looked like he might say something else—but then he turned away. "If that's all, I have work to do."107Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3vCOEYSOOb
It was clear the conversation was over.107Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpLwQsQk2Cx
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The three of them left the shop, frustration heavy in the air.107Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5tcd1DH3tK
"He knows something," Nick muttered.107Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoQviuJLIsT
"Obviously," Maddie said. "But he's not going to just tell us."107Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXg1sHZ3NhC
Chrissy was quiet. She could still see the flicker of recognition in Nathaniel's expression when he looked at the photo. He knew more than he was letting on.107Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8OV8LNJqGr
And she was going to find out what.107Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8AJBYtGmBh
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That evening, Nick walked Chrissy home, the quiet sounds of the ocean in the distance. The night air was cool, carrying the salty breeze through the trees.107Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdPfKaB5goO
Nick was still tense from earlier, his eyes scanning the area.107Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYPI3WXxSQZ
"You okay?" Chrissy asked.107Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlBFeQfrN0k
"Just making sure no one followed us."107Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgFqv8SvyFG
Chrissy rolled her eyes. "Nick, I don't think—"107Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5zHgVZtrJc
Then he stopped.107Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmUDAc9DbrI
His hand instinctively reached out, gently grabbing her arm. "Wait."107Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7WJ63Rjx3h
Chrissy froze, following his gaze toward the trees lining the road.107Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡF4p2WaE283
There, just beyond the treeline, a shadow moved. A figure—just barely visible in the darkness.107Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡixu6TD1rWk
Nick took a step forward, his body shifting slightly in front of Chrissy. "Hey!" he called out.107Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQZ8wkSOZmF
But before he could get any closer, the shadow disappeared.107Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWfpSBbLkK9
Gone.107Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCRJaTvUOGK
Nick didn't move for a long moment, his jaw clenched.107Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhJxaAUw7S8
Chrissy swallowed hard. "Did you see who it was?"107Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡo6lYjaQzyu
"No," he admitted, his voice low. "But someone was there."107Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8tzrUFkQFv
A shiver ran down Chrissy's spine.107Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaAdZ0rNwJw
Nick exhaled sharply. "Let's get you inside."107Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡckNHRK953c
As they reached her front door, Chrissy cast one last glance at the woods.107Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZ9qZPuWY0A
The feeling of being watched hadn't gone away.107Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWR9m66mIwY
And she had a terrible feeling...107Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDWuwumd78K
It was only just beginning.107Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgps6IcCjjM
