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.233Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaTzRrxSJ58
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.233Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡa238938GEO
"Finally," Maddie teased as Chrissy dropped onto the sand. "We were about to send a search party."233Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1H2OA7QElf
Chrissy rolled her eyes, catching her breath. "Overslept." She reached for the book. "Anything interesting?"233Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3QUrGcNQ8c
Maddie's eyes gleamed. "More than interesting. Listen to this." She cleared her throat and read aloud:233Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQ08OfiUvD6
"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."233Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzd1VU74JOE
Chrissy shivered despite the warm breeze. "Sounds like the lighthouse story."233Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdSylsL5ZbG
Nick nodded. "The townspeople thought she was a mermaid. That's why they wanted the lighthouse keeper to give her up."233Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPzqYAOnscI
Maddie snapped the book shut. "And that means we need to go to the lighthouse."233Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzpf9LBvn3v
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.233Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGCtpIlbzij
"We have to," she said, surprising even herself. "If there are answers, they're there."233Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlQE4whgKUY
Nick sighed. "I was afraid you'd say that."233Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡR8lvugTdkz
The Lighthouse Exploration233Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJhSW5E6025
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.233Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkuYUutH74S
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.233Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ53giYMNQJA
"This place is straight-up haunted," Maddie whispered, running a hand along the peeling wallpaper.233Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTsV9R7sYNa
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.233Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYJwjXnVX32
"A Bible?" she murmured.233Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡD0W9DLHRqB
Nick, who had been rummaging through a nearby cabinet, glanced over. "Weird place to leave it."233Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡN38KKtxFK7
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.233Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPGodNlEz0W
Nick bent down and picked it up. His expression shifted from confusion to shock as he turned the picture toward Chrissy.233Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡm7C43t0g11
"Uh... is this you?"233Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuDi80DC2Ug
Chrissy frowned, reaching for it. But the moment she saw the image, her breath hitched.233Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNxlpMD4QGV
The woman in the photograph wasn't her. And yet... she could have been.233Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDIEqV9nCiw
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.233Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKODhhj599d
Chrissy turned the photo over. Scribbled on the back, barely legible, were the letters: S & J.233Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4frLHOUIyf
Maddie peered over her shoulder. "Who's 'S & J'?"233Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4iDekQ87Fk
Chrissy didn't answer. Her heart pounded as she stared at the image, the lighthouse's eerie silence pressing in around them.233Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKAJELGGifj
She wasn't sure what she'd been hoping to find here. But this... this was something more.233Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcSiHPBS7Pl
Something personal.233Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbdfdyRtdK1
Something unsettling.233Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLkj8GXBDZZ
And she had no idea what it meant. 233Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvLt955tdsC
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.233Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDYVPcmtLDf
Why did she look like her?233Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcJnH6R0Rdv
Why did she feel like the lighthouse was calling her?233Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5SrSKl6xAP
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.233Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1WXPr6NqmH
Like someone was watching.233Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPUSIADASXl
She sat up quickly, heart pounding, and forced herself to look outside. Nothing. Just the trees swaying in the wind.233Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHJKQKJne0Z
Still, she couldn't shake the unease.233Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRYIg8G24E4
Tomorrow, she'd tell Nick.233Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLy1OOfDiwJ
Maybe then, they'd figure out what this all meant.233Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlzKnSmgeeC
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.233Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgMeD3Vv1S4
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.233Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡX8fXH1JGcu
Nick was already there when she arrived, standing near the water's edge, absently tossing small rocks into the surf.233Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡH4eLz1NUxx
"Hey," she called, pulling her bag higher on her shoulder.233Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfbvXLlOzFA
Nick turned, giving her a once-over like he was checking for something. Weird.233Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvbUCBtD9pX
"Hey," he said. "You good?"233Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡH17bLYU7ir
She hesitated. Should I even say anything? It was probably nothing. Just her mind playing tricks on her. But then again...233Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡK9CWpXh65v
"I don't know," she admitted. "Last night, I had this weird feeling. Like I was being watched."233Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnNMUx4ZBUt
That got his attention. He straightened, his easygoing expression shifting to something more serious. "Watched?"233Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRu14zKRvXs
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."233Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡM1Zdapg4zU
Nick's jaw tightened slightly, and his gaze flicked past her, scanning the area as if expecting to catch someone lurking in the dunes.233Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡreKu9P3n9d
"You see anything?" he asked, his voice quieter now.
"No. Just felt it."233Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlgjDdgePQI
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?"233Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEcXO4lfuXS
Chrissy shrugged. "I mean, I think so."233Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxqAr47YMq6
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?"233Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaNXlsR3mHb
"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."233Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOp7bznG7eK
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.233Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡS4mxf0dPxb
Maybe she had imagined it.233Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRrRWg1Bwnt
But if that was true... why did Nick look like he wasn't so sure?233Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAh4ZceSsPn
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