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.76Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkV4WViRDuL
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.76Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwoBnyXqsLy
"Finally," Maddie teased as Chrissy dropped onto the sand. "We were about to send a search party."76Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0I2V175JE3
Chrissy rolled her eyes, catching her breath. "Overslept." She reached for the book. "Anything interesting?"76Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡj1c9ad8aYI
Maddie's eyes gleamed. "More than interesting. Listen to this." She cleared her throat and read aloud:76Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRFv3u9qBlK
"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."76Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡU9EiG9YgZ6
Chrissy shivered despite the warm breeze. "Sounds like the lighthouse story."76Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡe2WdftFtB9
Nick nodded. "The townspeople thought she was a mermaid. That's why they wanted the lighthouse keeper to give her up."76Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGBgVHEr1xj
Maddie snapped the book shut. "And that means we need to go to the lighthouse."76Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjbsOH2amjF
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.76Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡg3g7D2Kxpg
"We have to," she said, surprising even herself. "If there are answers, they're there."76Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNmlRs0pJew
Nick sighed. "I was afraid you'd say that."76Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKKEEFOiGBF
The Lighthouse Exploration76Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRwpJg1lsty
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.76Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0JcdGtbd6k
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.76Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXnR9dTaiN9
"This place is straight-up haunted," Maddie whispered, running a hand along the peeling wallpaper.76Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ54tklR3OAU
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.76Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuHEieT8sb4
"A Bible?" she murmured.76Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdpTXhNqL2V
Nick, who had been rummaging through a nearby cabinet, glanced over. "Weird place to leave it."76Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkgGtOVkSg0
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.76Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUYAGczlvtp
Nick bent down and picked it up. His expression shifted from confusion to shock as he turned the picture toward Chrissy.76Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡH0JLM6w49I
"Uh... is this you?"76Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFWuICnrjof
Chrissy frowned, reaching for it. But the moment she saw the image, her breath hitched.76Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqfKE5rrdFE
The woman in the photograph wasn't her. And yet... she could have been.76Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGvAwpChO5I
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.76Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0q6g9h4MFF
Chrissy turned the photo over. Scribbled on the back, barely legible, were the letters: S & J.76Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡM30iWjDncv
Maddie peered over her shoulder. "Who's 'S & J'?"76Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡypohlks5vw
Chrissy didn't answer. Her heart pounded as she stared at the image, the lighthouse's eerie silence pressing in around them.76Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡs7jXQCi7mE
She wasn't sure what she'd been hoping to find here. But this... this was something more.76Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHmPf5Fu9Nf
Something personal.76Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsh15BtnnjQ
Something unsettling.76Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnXfHrAgMS1
And she had no idea what it meant. 76Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYQg8NT31rr
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.76Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡftblVqnQYX
Why did she look like her?76Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ70tSEERliN
Why did she feel like the lighthouse was calling her?76Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡz2kVKumXhp
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.76Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOVINvl19Rr
Like someone was watching.76Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡun896sKOlE
She sat up quickly, heart pounding, and forced herself to look outside. Nothing. Just the trees swaying in the wind.76Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUyaTfhpGqV
Still, she couldn't shake the unease.76Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQsXsZ6ZwXT
Tomorrow, she'd tell Nick.76Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhnww8OBCic
Maybe then, they'd figure out what this all meant.76Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPBdA6r5Leg
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.76Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡU9BDXOpQ32
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.76Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGEGKLPOgiH
Nick was already there when she arrived, standing near the water's edge, absently tossing small rocks into the surf.76Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfZ8BDMa8wx
"Hey," she called, pulling her bag higher on her shoulder.76Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXRfwskOUxT
Nick turned, giving her a once-over like he was checking for something. Weird.76Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBXz7scNipJ
"Hey," he said. "You good?"76Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6w0WHS5e8w
She hesitated. Should I even say anything? It was probably nothing. Just her mind playing tricks on her. But then again...76Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡphUvjrbP1M
"I don't know," she admitted. "Last night, I had this weird feeling. Like I was being watched."76Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoZRLeuJSwh
That got his attention. He straightened, his easygoing expression shifting to something more serious. "Watched?"76Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0RsjUP50aq
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."76Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡo3nsf0N9pU
Nick's jaw tightened slightly, and his gaze flicked past her, scanning the area as if expecting to catch someone lurking in the dunes.76Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuwtDHsHA0S
"You see anything?" he asked, his voice quieter now.
"No. Just felt it."76Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡe6wCJeEPUI
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?"76Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxAmDJzs06G
Chrissy shrugged. "I mean, I think so."76Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgcv1ww3f5A
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?"76Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡo6VPHf8wOS
"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."76Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5uiqgRNTeg
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.76Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡznCUM8B8Jv
Maybe she had imagined it.76Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2AXdV1of4e
But if that was true... why did Nick look like he wasn't so sure?76Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTAWi67j1Kh
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