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.43Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2vLzAUXapJ
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.43Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJ1EYfdTAW8
"Finally," Maddie teased as Chrissy dropped onto the sand. "We were about to send a search party."43Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhkuXSjfPcb
Chrissy rolled her eyes, catching her breath. "Overslept." She reached for the book. "Anything interesting?"43Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2KRsZ0sqcV
Maddie's eyes gleamed. "More than interesting. Listen to this." She cleared her throat and read aloud:43Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnoKIQGK3V3
"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."43Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcHsgKSKQAB
Chrissy shivered despite the warm breeze. "Sounds like the lighthouse story."43Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYHeX7PExh3
Nick nodded. "The townspeople thought she was a mermaid. That's why they wanted the lighthouse keeper to give her up."43Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡedQkRutCRb
Maddie snapped the book shut. "And that means we need to go to the lighthouse."43Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkgEzaJKd0O
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.43Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWrzKD438Wv
"We have to," she said, surprising even herself. "If there are answers, they're there."43Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtItDpIR5fp
Nick sighed. "I was afraid you'd say that."43Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjktBjbvfx2
The Lighthouse Exploration43Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡs3pWwm1fyi
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.43Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNVSoBwwv9J
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.43Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0FPD77BJbp
"This place is straight-up haunted," Maddie whispered, running a hand along the peeling wallpaper.43Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaJh9VWGCSl
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.43Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaNAojqTpMq
"A Bible?" she murmured.43Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGvlNmffQUH
Nick, who had been rummaging through a nearby cabinet, glanced over. "Weird place to leave it."43Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRUanWlBRTR
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.43Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2h7AQcZkTS
Nick bent down and picked it up. His expression shifted from confusion to shock as he turned the picture toward Chrissy.43Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ705ZQ79D1J
"Uh... is this you?"43Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVJWhg3sMSH
Chrissy frowned, reaching for it. But the moment she saw the image, her breath hitched.43Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcJBODF2e3S
The woman in the photograph wasn't her. And yet... she could have been.43Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡipRWRVB19L
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.43Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1MzZBtDkUv
Chrissy turned the photo over. Scribbled on the back, barely legible, were the letters: S & J.43Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBGEHirqYWg
Maddie peered over her shoulder. "Who's 'S & J'?"43Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡo30z2q8qz5
Chrissy didn't answer. Her heart pounded as she stared at the image, the lighthouse's eerie silence pressing in around them.43Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRzHB9Q2SJp
She wasn't sure what she'd been hoping to find here. But this... this was something more.43Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡROXjgqnLAu
Something personal.43Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgIpu3F6ckR
Something unsettling.43Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2axWZJ4UYO
And she had no idea what it meant. 43Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWbNBerjR3O
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.43Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡK3vsS0bBmd
Why did she look like her?43Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡz5ebEUhNy6
Why did she feel like the lighthouse was calling her?43Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡB6S1W8NlGo
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.43Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhbzUFvOiaT
Like someone was watching.43Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4Yi06jgX41
She sat up quickly, heart pounding, and forced herself to look outside. Nothing. Just the trees swaying in the wind.43Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZPG2pRxNY8
Still, she couldn't shake the unease.43Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9P4GAL7uBG
Tomorrow, she'd tell Nick.43Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡn9RjlzAm8V
Maybe then, they'd figure out what this all meant.43Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡruAmpOtOvc
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.43Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡu9tkoBln5R
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.43Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcBCSjeFgzx
Nick was already there when she arrived, standing near the water's edge, absently tossing small rocks into the surf.43Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4wPUHAUbuQ
"Hey," she called, pulling her bag higher on her shoulder.43Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtcdn0sGlIu
Nick turned, giving her a once-over like he was checking for something. Weird.43Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5KUCVHNa7v
"Hey," he said. "You good?"43Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvwbtiQ2Amr
She hesitated. Should I even say anything? It was probably nothing. Just her mind playing tricks on her. But then again...43Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9EhlSjub6s
"I don't know," she admitted. "Last night, I had this weird feeling. Like I was being watched."43Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRYeQ0jxLVM
That got his attention. He straightened, his easygoing expression shifting to something more serious. "Watched?"43Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡW90B8PfHw3
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."43Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡo2OmaCFcqM
Nick's jaw tightened slightly, and his gaze flicked past her, scanning the area as if expecting to catch someone lurking in the dunes.43Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLue3havFPJ
"You see anything?" he asked, his voice quieter now.
"No. Just felt it."43Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9YJJWcUJUJ
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?"43Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9eek0DK45A
Chrissy shrugged. "I mean, I think so."43Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡS41TaE97bs
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?"43Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXPrt4SMRS7
"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."43Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGEfyoY3uWo
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.43Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSez91u6vKv
Maybe she had imagined it.43Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrajihdtzAW
But if that was true... why did Nick look like he wasn't so sure?43Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjSXicxEH49
