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.31Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEjoyuw9h7H
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.31Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2PXF56dNqp
"Finally," Maddie teased as Chrissy dropped onto the sand. "We were about to send a search party."31Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmXhIItYjaZ
Chrissy rolled her eyes, catching her breath. "Overslept." She reached for the book. "Anything interesting?"31Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBZA93lIMbN
Maddie's eyes gleamed. "More than interesting. Listen to this." She cleared her throat and read aloud:31Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbFT2LcSm2K
"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."31Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEuFEbxl3yj
Chrissy shivered despite the warm breeze. "Sounds like the lighthouse story."31Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgZGlLVrHCV
Nick nodded. "The townspeople thought she was a mermaid. That's why they wanted the lighthouse keeper to give her up."31Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDuxRDwftQ4
Maddie snapped the book shut. "And that means we need to go to the lighthouse."31Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyVCJ5S9VlT
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.31Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSAxtcSteoa
"We have to," she said, surprising even herself. "If there are answers, they're there."31Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkMvMXvmGan
Nick sighed. "I was afraid you'd say that."31Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡge5yMJkuRx
The Lighthouse Exploration31Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdGpVBKvAtm
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.31Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2spAKSsJVx
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.31Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2PKRtXhBQS
"This place is straight-up haunted," Maddie whispered, running a hand along the peeling wallpaper.31Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡd8jqQXfMYq
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.31Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxxhvFebCyu
"A Bible?" she murmured.31Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCtzmZ8zeqH
Nick, who had been rummaging through a nearby cabinet, glanced over. "Weird place to leave it."31Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOWkBOnDIDK
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.31Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡe9bzZfIWnm
Nick bent down and picked it up. His expression shifted from confusion to shock as he turned the picture toward Chrissy.31Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡT5N8cSYqVE
"Uh... is this you?"31Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxLfVEGqLxK
Chrissy frowned, reaching for it. But the moment she saw the image, her breath hitched.31Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2ORSFDQPso
The woman in the photograph wasn't her. And yet... she could have been.31Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDf2PRLz60l
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.31Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOkGGqXz9N3
Chrissy turned the photo over. Scribbled on the back, barely legible, were the letters: S & J.31Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUbu5XcAYIK
Maddie peered over her shoulder. "Who's 'S & J'?"31Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkXmOw2fA6o
Chrissy didn't answer. Her heart pounded as she stared at the image, the lighthouse's eerie silence pressing in around them.31Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhGbPkAhNGd
She wasn't sure what she'd been hoping to find here. But this... this was something more.31Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxkJTqNWWCH
Something personal.31Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡl27ST3XEim
Something unsettling.31Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ516vRZQ2CK
And she had no idea what it meant. 31Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyf7i4qBcrp
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.31Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTFJZ8lQO4m
Why did she look like her?31Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3djx2ZaplN
Why did she feel like the lighthouse was calling her?31Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrC5Eyk5QQm
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.31Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrWOLxTOAEZ
Like someone was watching.31Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGezHOBIWda
She sat up quickly, heart pounding, and forced herself to look outside. Nothing. Just the trees swaying in the wind.31Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHis2uBJb1i
Still, she couldn't shake the unease.31Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsu9iq0PLHZ
Tomorrow, she'd tell Nick.31Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8Gum7F3BLW
Maybe then, they'd figure out what this all meant.31Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡultD9iktdi
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.31Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlP7GUkjW9Y
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.31Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3PQOzQD03U
Nick was already there when she arrived, standing near the water's edge, absently tossing small rocks into the surf.31Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlot3njbRJB
"Hey," she called, pulling her bag higher on her shoulder.31Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUW69qsVph2
Nick turned, giving her a once-over like he was checking for something. Weird.31Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYzHxHe3vBE
"Hey," he said. "You good?"31Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLllshkKzI3
She hesitated. Should I even say anything? It was probably nothing. Just her mind playing tricks on her. But then again...31Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaTT7AO2lBs
"I don't know," she admitted. "Last night, I had this weird feeling. Like I was being watched."31Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡe4xIRsjJnN
That got his attention. He straightened, his easygoing expression shifting to something more serious. "Watched?"31Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZjqFcSilrk
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."31Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHnQfIWDg3Q
Nick's jaw tightened slightly, and his gaze flicked past her, scanning the area as if expecting to catch someone lurking in the dunes.31Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTDjMQiliAH
"You see anything?" he asked, his voice quieter now.
"No. Just felt it."31Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYY24eFJxUE
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?"31Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7a0bPGxMzR
Chrissy shrugged. "I mean, I think so."31Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7l8aiXs0vy
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?"31Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIdSo72LEPm
"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."31Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnHSg7j04dV
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.31Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8xGHX86Pk5
Maybe she had imagined it.31Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyXGjzGKlQr
But if that was true... why did Nick look like he wasn't so sure?31Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuiVBGlpJPv
