Chapter 4: Echoes of the Past
The scent of fresh coffee and baked muffins filled the air as Chrissy stepped into the Book Nook. The cozy shop was quiet this morning, a few locals scattered at tables flipping through books. At a corner booth near the window, Maddie and Lacy were already waiting, a steaming cup of coffee and a blueberry muffin set out for Chrissy.65Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡH8nylZYtx4
"Alright," Maddie said, leaning forward as Chrissy slid into the seat. "What happened last night? You said you felt like you were being watched?"65Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡe25vxgAMix
Chrissy wrapped her hands around the warm coffee cup, her fingers tightening slightly. "I don't know if I was just imagining things, but after I got home, I kept looking at that photograph." She hesitated, her voice lowering. "And I swear... I felt something. Like someone was there, watching me."65Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzTWu6mDwHP
Lacy's eyes lit up with intrigue. "That's classic ghost story material. A connection to the past, an old legend, mysterious signs—it all fits."65Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnqhUIvFBOW
Nick, who had arrived just as she said that, scoffed. "Or someone's actually watching her, and that's a real problem." His tone was serious, and he glanced out the shop window like he expected to see someone lurking.65Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWdYddqXmUW
Chrissy sighed. "I don't know what to think. But I know one thing—there's something more to that lighthouse, to this whole legend."65Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCLjJBkdnem
Before Maddie could respond, the bell above the door jingled, and an older man stepped inside, carrying a small stack of books.65Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDXMSp8iLpq
Chrissy immediately recognized him.65Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3nVQ0VYmrK
The historian.65Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡG5XJkkXINz
She barely had time to process his presence before he turned—and froze. His eyes locked onto her, his grip on the books tightening.65Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMW9RVD9kTN
For a long second, no one spoke.65Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7x4DORrS0r
Then, as if snapping out of a daze, the historian spun toward the counter, but in his rush, he dropped the books. The sound echoed through the quiet shop.65Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUAk1nweumS
Maddie immediately jumped up to help, bending down to pick up the scattered books. "Here, let me—"65Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMS84fK8QEK
"I've got it," the historian snapped, snatching them up before she could touch them. His voice was tight, his movements stiff.65Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkh8E4qE7hy
Maddie frowned, taken aback by his rudeness, but before anyone could say anything else, he muttered a hurried "Excuse me" and strode out the door, nearly knocking into a display on his way out.65Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYnVueM1yjE
They all watched him go.65Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4ubn44CmAm
"Well, that wasn't weird at all," Maddie muttered, brushing dust from her hands.65Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKzO5z8yjBf
Chrissy stayed quiet, replaying the way he had looked at her—like he had seen a ghost.65Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaoVyC8Fkwn
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The encounter with the historian left Chrissy restless. She needed answers.65Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAcx4EmD6Tn
Lacy helped them gather a stack of old newspapers, genealogy records, and even a few yearbooks from the town's archives, hoping they could find anything related to the lighthouse keeper, the historian, or the mysterious woman in the photograph.65Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeTRieA10KP
Flipping through a yearbook from decades ago, Maddie suddenly stopped. "Wait."65Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡASzG47q4EM
Chrissy and Nick leaned in.65Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmSKfCZqPTt
Maddie pointed to a black-and-white photo of a group of boys sitting at a long table in what looked like a school library. Underneath the image, a caption listed their names.65Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGmOnsceY68
One stood out immediately.65Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLRwLcOGjww
James Whitaker.65Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡf8RVTSpS34
Nick's eyes widened. "That's the lighthouse keeper."65Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZqwuK9JtZz
But it was the boy next to him that sent a chill down Chrissy's spine. He was younger, but the resemblance was clear.65Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqa3YQFjgTf
"That's him," she whispered. "That's the historian."65Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXsGg4R9XOk
The name beneath the boy's image read: Nathaniel Whitaker.65Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUxG10By75B
"They're brothers," Maddie murmured.65Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVKlSyuZhtD
Chrissy leaned back in her chair, her mind racing. The historian—Nathaniel—was directly connected to the lighthouse. He had to know something.65Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfTapNf8Z84
"We need to talk to him," Nick said.65Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpmyySIVEjv
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Tracking Nathaniel down wasn't difficult. After asking around town, they learned he worked at an antique shop near the harbor, one that specialized in shipwreck artifacts.65Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpt0DJ0gGhA
When they arrived, the shop was dimly lit, the air thick with the scent of salt and old wood. Glass cases displayed rusted coins, compasses crusted with years of sea decay, and delicate shells that looked almost too perfect to be real.65Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAx1nLn5Fe1
But it was the centerpiece that caught Chrissy's attention.65Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlBsrkmNwFS
A small, metal replica of the lighthouse. Rusted and aged, it sat on a wooden shelf, standing no taller than a foot. But despite its worn condition, there was something strikingly familiar about it.65Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7yp3mqrVLg
"You interested in that?"65Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡU3gTJCFMGp
Chrissy turned to find Nathaniel standing behind the counter, watching her. His voice was unreadable, carefully neutral.65Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlsN63a90UM
Chrissy hesitated, then pointed to the lighthouse replica. "That belonged to your brother, didn't it?"65Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgBN5G6K5r7
A flicker of something crossed his face, but it was gone in an instant.65Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmSpeTpsjIC
"I restore antiques," he said curtly. "It's just an old piece."65Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ659JD9AKe6
Nick crossed his arms. "It looks exactly like the lighthouse James worked at."65Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡK23IoMmcvN
Nathaniel ignored him.65Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0eXzBNeyro
Chrissy reached into her bag, pulling out the photograph from the lighthouse. She turned it toward him, pointing at the necklace around the woman's neck. "Do you know anything about this?"65Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4V0lEjEnXp
Nathaniel barely looked at it before replying, "No."65Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfojELDZdnR
Chrissy narrowed her eyes. "You didn't even—"65Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyK427tWwMC
"I said no." His tone was sharp now, final.65Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtHB2alKgea
Maddie raised an eyebrow. "You sure? You look like you've seen that necklace before."65Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyGLR0Gc1Yt
Nathaniel's jaw tightened. For a long moment, it looked like he might say something else—but then he turned away. "If that's all, I have work to do."65Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQZ1kdwTSRt
It was clear the conversation was over.65Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6Mu8R3gsPG
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The three of them left the shop, frustration heavy in the air.65Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBwGI3snxjz
"He knows something," Nick muttered.65Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeYbxeqc6Uy
"Obviously," Maddie said. "But he's not going to just tell us."65Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlpACNCWMVl
Chrissy was quiet. She could still see the flicker of recognition in Nathaniel's expression when he looked at the photo. He knew more than he was letting on.65Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrJ9ogn73D0
And she was going to find out what.65Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRPOtkHZqlp
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That evening, Nick walked Chrissy home, the quiet sounds of the ocean in the distance. The night air was cool, carrying the salty breeze through the trees.65Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡW7JpUQqSrN
Nick was still tense from earlier, his eyes scanning the area.65Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJpavWVsoOK
"You okay?" Chrissy asked.65Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3GzOP4KIOB
"Just making sure no one followed us."65Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDq4KoHGJPl
Chrissy rolled her eyes. "Nick, I don't think—"65Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5wys9osG7E
Then he stopped.65Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9HupzSlUG8
His hand instinctively reached out, gently grabbing her arm. "Wait."65Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJL5OQIiO17
Chrissy froze, following his gaze toward the trees lining the road.65Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlYfzEwLDM9
There, just beyond the treeline, a shadow moved. A figure—just barely visible in the darkness.65Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxlIW8GrvAy
Nick took a step forward, his body shifting slightly in front of Chrissy. "Hey!" he called out.65Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnNhHnCJPbg
But before he could get any closer, the shadow disappeared.65Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡW4UvXHY2ij
Gone.65Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaRtbAeJn7i
Nick didn't move for a long moment, his jaw clenched.65Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaOFUBd8PJ7
Chrissy swallowed hard. "Did you see who it was?"65Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGbkPKQW6Hp
"No," he admitted, his voice low. "But someone was there."65Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrldn5FWV9g
A shiver ran down Chrissy's spine.65Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡb3R2j1Kr1c
Nick exhaled sharply. "Let's get you inside."65Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlfGZRv4xFx
As they reached her front door, Chrissy cast one last glance at the woods.65Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpDFSuVExos
The feeling of being watched hadn't gone away.65Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxNOcj18dvu
And she had a terrible feeling...65Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaQSLDO4L90
It was only just beginning.65Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqD1OIUF7an
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