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.225Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKUiZNiqkkq
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.225Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeuO56rh2NQ
"Finally," Maddie teased as Chrissy dropped onto the sand. "We were about to send a search party."225Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUjwqUS3uMi
Chrissy rolled her eyes, catching her breath. "Overslept." She reached for the book. "Anything interesting?"225Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0jln5YEnzg
Maddie's eyes gleamed. "More than interesting. Listen to this." She cleared her throat and read aloud:225Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡu3avWAqpBA
"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."225Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCJZxRdakm4
Chrissy shivered despite the warm breeze. "Sounds like the lighthouse story."225Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9EpuBBzGmS
Nick nodded. "The townspeople thought she was a mermaid. That's why they wanted the lighthouse keeper to give her up."225Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTFBgs29huW
Maddie snapped the book shut. "And that means we need to go to the lighthouse."225Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSllaU4hmLE
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.225Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjLnYNELPEr
"We have to," she said, surprising even herself. "If there are answers, they're there."225Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYV1XzB3Cba
Nick sighed. "I was afraid you'd say that."225Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6C9z4hlMtE
The Lighthouse Exploration225Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzbYyiykmH5
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.225Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYXXX6NrZVt
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.225Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsQ9kRmmtX5
"This place is straight-up haunted," Maddie whispered, running a hand along the peeling wallpaper.225Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyue1a4kL1W
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.225Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXWNiWIoXGy
"A Bible?" she murmured.225Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGz5u8ks2yX
Nick, who had been rummaging through a nearby cabinet, glanced over. "Weird place to leave it."225Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡecUOLKVj2j
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.225Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOVBgAeJ2ZS
Nick bent down and picked it up. His expression shifted from confusion to shock as he turned the picture toward Chrissy.225Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡV7iz7COOqb
"Uh... is this you?"225Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOpNHPTPeu7
Chrissy frowned, reaching for it. But the moment she saw the image, her breath hitched.225Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCHPabfL8KF
The woman in the photograph wasn't her. And yet... she could have been.225Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQF38UfXFdR
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.225Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjkPyGhJoW0
Chrissy turned the photo over. Scribbled on the back, barely legible, were the letters: S & J.225Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpikZ8XjuUP
Maddie peered over her shoulder. "Who's 'S & J'?"225Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡk3QRBqXlMa
Chrissy didn't answer. Her heart pounded as she stared at the image, the lighthouse's eerie silence pressing in around them.225Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡw8A4fKSKun
She wasn't sure what she'd been hoping to find here. But this... this was something more.225Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmdCC9YcWan
Something personal.225Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3Mz8vfvGyq
Something unsettling.225Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgK1hSQJUu1
And she had no idea what it meant. 225Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDEkrVBnBrx
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.225Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHBxb00TUhR
Why did she look like her?225Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrGG0gPB2VJ
Why did she feel like the lighthouse was calling her?225Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJf0pDUzHeV
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.225Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6uGZh7LlDo
Like someone was watching.225Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhErZz8tmqf
She sat up quickly, heart pounding, and forced herself to look outside. Nothing. Just the trees swaying in the wind.225Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEEhAqT07lZ
Still, she couldn't shake the unease.225Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIRciXks5aW
Tomorrow, she'd tell Nick.225Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnWF2A7yi7b
Maybe then, they'd figure out what this all meant.225Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCTjDMkPZ2b
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.225Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8cLmJxe4eh
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.225Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbX5YkOYz1F
Nick was already there when she arrived, standing near the water's edge, absently tossing small rocks into the surf.225Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7RnpXaNywX
"Hey," she called, pulling her bag higher on her shoulder.225Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSxNjJWa0SE
Nick turned, giving her a once-over like he was checking for something. Weird.225Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡocwi0unpyO
"Hey," he said. "You good?"225Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgerm7txkjg
She hesitated. Should I even say anything? It was probably nothing. Just her mind playing tricks on her. But then again...225Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡko6y09K1HO
"I don't know," she admitted. "Last night, I had this weird feeling. Like I was being watched."225Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGWKz3UffiS
That got his attention. He straightened, his easygoing expression shifting to something more serious. "Watched?"225Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcJr2AIX42T
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."225Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbBHCHDwql8
Nick's jaw tightened slightly, and his gaze flicked past her, scanning the area as if expecting to catch someone lurking in the dunes.225Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZv3nlWPSo3
"You see anything?" he asked, his voice quieter now.
"No. Just felt it."225Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8sN2vtyOyp
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?"225Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSfNlJCZ466
Chrissy shrugged. "I mean, I think so."225Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡs16RBzHfjf
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?"225Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡscKeaO6y89
"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."225Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBh8aFyVjHT
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.225Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJ0h0kuzMRe
Maybe she had imagined it.225Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6QYouNLsei
But if that was true... why did Nick look like he wasn't so sure?225Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0OIqtHT7nI
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