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.45Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8YSwtlcPM1
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.45Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFKojUr1qVJ
"Finally," Maddie teased as Chrissy dropped onto the sand. "We were about to send a search party."45Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5qjL1VbA0M
Chrissy rolled her eyes, catching her breath. "Overslept." She reached for the book. "Anything interesting?"45Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡY23LvknhZQ
Maddie's eyes gleamed. "More than interesting. Listen to this." She cleared her throat and read aloud:45Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEyJ0oUpaEs
"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."45Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡh99JOrPs5l
Chrissy shivered despite the warm breeze. "Sounds like the lighthouse story."45Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEPzL7cxU2W
Nick nodded. "The townspeople thought she was a mermaid. That's why they wanted the lighthouse keeper to give her up."45Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡB5ZeNsRk7E
Maddie snapped the book shut. "And that means we need to go to the lighthouse."45Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnoOg96sQ6u
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.45Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡu86lxwPX4F
"We have to," she said, surprising even herself. "If there are answers, they're there."45Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡP4Dj4yfKVP
Nick sighed. "I was afraid you'd say that."45Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpWswO3OLgU
The Lighthouse Exploration45Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhRNLdvFytU
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.45Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWzjPmZx14p
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.45Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡX8mNCaaTTi
"This place is straight-up haunted," Maddie whispered, running a hand along the peeling wallpaper.45Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7H8BW6wInM
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.45Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡm779FFGXKS
"A Bible?" she murmured.45Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVKXQPK2Pe0
Nick, who had been rummaging through a nearby cabinet, glanced over. "Weird place to leave it."45Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7JVmBc6hEo
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.45Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoQQcvnF6Jq
Nick bent down and picked it up. His expression shifted from confusion to shock as he turned the picture toward Chrissy.45Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡntWxaPQipB
"Uh... is this you?"45Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvMVPRWZ8dZ
Chrissy frowned, reaching for it. But the moment she saw the image, her breath hitched.45Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4KngEXZAOr
The woman in the photograph wasn't her. And yet... she could have been.45Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrp0TveiMaR
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.45Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBa0dku0cjp
Chrissy turned the photo over. Scribbled on the back, barely legible, were the letters: S & J.45Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtRU6kdZRZQ
Maddie peered over her shoulder. "Who's 'S & J'?"45Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡU0OUjlrGeR
Chrissy didn't answer. Her heart pounded as she stared at the image, the lighthouse's eerie silence pressing in around them.45Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzct9NHege6
She wasn't sure what she'd been hoping to find here. But this... this was something more.45Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5WZlhYU1Y9
Something personal.45Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNSZm71EITN
Something unsettling.45Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡffW4Ix3kj6
And she had no idea what it meant. 45Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQKO1tGYxkg
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.45Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIfCHREo6Qa
Why did she look like her?45Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMM9g67EAu9
Why did she feel like the lighthouse was calling her?45Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWLONxtBrGR
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.45Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOlIyrzRG7D
Like someone was watching.45Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJXHGtHLVdL
She sat up quickly, heart pounding, and forced herself to look outside. Nothing. Just the trees swaying in the wind.45Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlX0Br4WPeK
Still, she couldn't shake the unease.45Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPv7oDcfzwB
Tomorrow, she'd tell Nick.45Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyZaOo4GGNT
Maybe then, they'd figure out what this all meant.45Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfCgP8gvIez
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.45Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡl5tpKIZlEW
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.45Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMkHPVWUlSY
Nick was already there when she arrived, standing near the water's edge, absently tossing small rocks into the surf.45Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlFWgaZzIte
"Hey," she called, pulling her bag higher on her shoulder.45Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡREJGjGpZFZ
Nick turned, giving her a once-over like he was checking for something. Weird.45Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIOu6qEEUPg
"Hey," he said. "You good?"45Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDNvAl8lOU1
She hesitated. Should I even say anything? It was probably nothing. Just her mind playing tricks on her. But then again...45Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCcytGFGw8o
"I don't know," she admitted. "Last night, I had this weird feeling. Like I was being watched."45Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2PfiA2rmgN
That got his attention. He straightened, his easygoing expression shifting to something more serious. "Watched?"45Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAkQsPse8wD
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."45Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVL6WVWRdwj
Nick's jaw tightened slightly, and his gaze flicked past her, scanning the area as if expecting to catch someone lurking in the dunes.45Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzzfTEf9S34
"You see anything?" he asked, his voice quieter now.
"No. Just felt it."45Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhVpqlV3Y1K
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?"45Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrkzJuJoRH6
Chrissy shrugged. "I mean, I think so."45Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCq9eY6wARc
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?"45Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYtXHrS3C6B
"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."45Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUNdXVUgevS
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.45Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpcWTYNAC8F
Maybe she had imagined it.45Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOUkZj9G47c
But if that was true... why did Nick look like he wasn't so sure?45Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbxq2WtsFok
