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.283Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ39aUoBGKXF
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.283Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtUkwzxkAt2
"Finally," Maddie teased as Chrissy dropped onto the sand. "We were about to send a search party."283Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJld5TcHTy7
Chrissy rolled her eyes, catching her breath. "Overslept." She reached for the book. "Anything interesting?"283Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyA8CsAGpPX
Maddie's eyes gleamed. "More than interesting. Listen to this." She cleared her throat and read aloud:283Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPxdeDZp4zh
"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."283Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGRl2SWAkEl
Chrissy shivered despite the warm breeze. "Sounds like the lighthouse story."283Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJVly5SPsgm
Nick nodded. "The townspeople thought she was a mermaid. That's why they wanted the lighthouse keeper to give her up."283Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNDMlkboFCV
Maddie snapped the book shut. "And that means we need to go to the lighthouse."283Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡicFlUEQKEZ
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.283Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5979Y2cyOJ
"We have to," she said, surprising even herself. "If there are answers, they're there."283Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwcoLUSEH0d
Nick sighed. "I was afraid you'd say that."283Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡybmw8OESqT
The Lighthouse Exploration283Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRDxa99u9fT
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.283Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡk0Yyv3sNgz
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.283Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKp2PrcvTEy
"This place is straight-up haunted," Maddie whispered, running a hand along the peeling wallpaper.283Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUf0MZ7qkgD
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.283Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6U9A8CDYoD
"A Bible?" she murmured.283Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDhdJFpQN1v
Nick, who had been rummaging through a nearby cabinet, glanced over. "Weird place to leave it."283Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVUdx6V1SVn
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.283Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzuWoC23dRR
Nick bent down and picked it up. His expression shifted from confusion to shock as he turned the picture toward Chrissy.283Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYD6oCcohY0
"Uh... is this you?"283Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡII4TzSREyz
Chrissy frowned, reaching for it. But the moment she saw the image, her breath hitched.283Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyaXlz53Uid
The woman in the photograph wasn't her. And yet... she could have been.283Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8U2IxgDFbg
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.283Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiAR1bUEkVg
Chrissy turned the photo over. Scribbled on the back, barely legible, were the letters: S & J.283Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8D1uhOO0mQ
Maddie peered over her shoulder. "Who's 'S & J'?"283Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqhf8owrZPo
Chrissy didn't answer. Her heart pounded as she stared at the image, the lighthouse's eerie silence pressing in around them.283Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVEMTqrdLVp
She wasn't sure what she'd been hoping to find here. But this... this was something more.283Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTvxA3pRVQB
Something personal.283Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCk4CS7p2al
Something unsettling.283Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡszhK0V9U1H
And she had no idea what it meant. 283Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3gYj5Iz4R6
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.283Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1WZQ6Y1S8h
Why did she look like her?283Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJcmAqLKULM
Why did she feel like the lighthouse was calling her?283Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjDZz6Y6l6j
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.283Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeJguU6VipV
Like someone was watching.283Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdHNjHc9foR
She sat up quickly, heart pounding, and forced herself to look outside. Nothing. Just the trees swaying in the wind.283Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3ec00bHeV7
Still, she couldn't shake the unease.283Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgdH2GjloL9
Tomorrow, she'd tell Nick.283Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4okZtPr64I
Maybe then, they'd figure out what this all meant.283Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQeSKoAecDs
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.283Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNC8a6bVrdd
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.283Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYV38OTotGQ
Nick was already there when she arrived, standing near the water's edge, absently tossing small rocks into the surf.283Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡotMU75ozNq
"Hey," she called, pulling her bag higher on her shoulder.283Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡswRoMHIxyZ
Nick turned, giving her a once-over like he was checking for something. Weird.283Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxB5gdszecG
"Hey," he said. "You good?"283Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0s9vOOk8gg
She hesitated. Should I even say anything? It was probably nothing. Just her mind playing tricks on her. But then again...283Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrC2fOFnr5F
"I don't know," she admitted. "Last night, I had this weird feeling. Like I was being watched."283Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5i2G9Guvzx
That got his attention. He straightened, his easygoing expression shifting to something more serious. "Watched?"283Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWKez8dpxsG
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."283Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTJTtVVwaEG
Nick's jaw tightened slightly, and his gaze flicked past her, scanning the area as if expecting to catch someone lurking in the dunes.283Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡz7vuHs95H9
"You see anything?" he asked, his voice quieter now.
"No. Just felt it."283Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgdHSSBmKJZ
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?"283Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJj18vz9Rzo
Chrissy shrugged. "I mean, I think so."283Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjT40mZaKlz
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?"283Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRj84yxTyoZ
"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."283Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡw9cEM7S0Qi
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.283Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡENTY9tkuE3
Maybe she had imagined it.283Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0dTG2kFj6M
But if that was true... why did Nick look like he wasn't so sure?283Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzPsfPRXlit
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