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.75Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkvfas5qVqv
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.75Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡG1KamiTBYY
"Finally," Maddie teased as Chrissy dropped onto the sand. "We were about to send a search party."75Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvl7c719Ano
Chrissy rolled her eyes, catching her breath. "Overslept." She reached for the book. "Anything interesting?"75Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡep0A90WVzi
Maddie's eyes gleamed. "More than interesting. Listen to this." She cleared her throat and read aloud:75Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡV0rqgANyQt
"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."75Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPWEWww8D26
Chrissy shivered despite the warm breeze. "Sounds like the lighthouse story."75Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡj3kmX6noNY
Nick nodded. "The townspeople thought she was a mermaid. That's why they wanted the lighthouse keeper to give her up."75Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqDnkFLnkRS
Maddie snapped the book shut. "And that means we need to go to the lighthouse."75Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡN4d2otsejb
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.75Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡus8POTsVNX
"We have to," she said, surprising even herself. "If there are answers, they're there."75Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5ZYLkrLmlE
Nick sighed. "I was afraid you'd say that."75Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjuI6XumSgS
The Lighthouse Exploration75Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxK2UyTWnoc
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.75Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡt4PeBLz5yX
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.75Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiknjR2VKrs
"This place is straight-up haunted," Maddie whispered, running a hand along the peeling wallpaper.75Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmUTXfn7o9N
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.75Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKjMOBd5B8E
"A Bible?" she murmured.75Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgWm8Iaou6k
Nick, who had been rummaging through a nearby cabinet, glanced over. "Weird place to leave it."75Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkFUJEylPG1
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.75Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMO8JWkPCi5
Nick bent down and picked it up. His expression shifted from confusion to shock as he turned the picture toward Chrissy.75Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlCZSd3T5hO
"Uh... is this you?"75Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRqFIpDYD4l
Chrissy frowned, reaching for it. But the moment she saw the image, her breath hitched.75Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzFCmoXlQac
The woman in the photograph wasn't her. And yet... she could have been.75Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMbvlmM7juA
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.75Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡao2Ygdy9Mx
Chrissy turned the photo over. Scribbled on the back, barely legible, were the letters: S & J.75Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgsAs0bkPiE
Maddie peered over her shoulder. "Who's 'S & J'?"75Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoMUp0Mmjdy
Chrissy didn't answer. Her heart pounded as she stared at the image, the lighthouse's eerie silence pressing in around them.75Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrptOx5Glws
She wasn't sure what she'd been hoping to find here. But this... this was something more.75Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡi0TdHWQ6JV
Something personal.75Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEsF17nFT3a
Something unsettling.75Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3ki443SFut
And she had no idea what it meant. 75Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrldmP1yUHf
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.75Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ237ksmR9PQ
Why did she look like her?75Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNpn51PTRcS
Why did she feel like the lighthouse was calling her?75Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDrH1XF1Her
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.75Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMUAj1JTpo4
Like someone was watching.75Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXFJezPVYAd
She sat up quickly, heart pounding, and forced herself to look outside. Nothing. Just the trees swaying in the wind.75Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4ARnWyc9tW
Still, she couldn't shake the unease.75Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFjOjoI90Ed
Tomorrow, she'd tell Nick.75Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEMr2JJNDJJ
Maybe then, they'd figure out what this all meant.75Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdGrFuIuBeY
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.75Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJWzbsifZo6
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.75Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQiSiiMwLKe
Nick was already there when she arrived, standing near the water's edge, absently tossing small rocks into the surf.75Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkxnNHAWzdx
"Hey," she called, pulling her bag higher on her shoulder.75Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyjgHYQkSvz
Nick turned, giving her a once-over like he was checking for something. Weird.75Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡb7iVZ0r9dW
"Hey," he said. "You good?"75Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNqGulYJ9fd
She hesitated. Should I even say anything? It was probably nothing. Just her mind playing tricks on her. But then again...75Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoJbgfIHXVX
"I don't know," she admitted. "Last night, I had this weird feeling. Like I was being watched."75Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfF8sCROc8i
That got his attention. He straightened, his easygoing expression shifting to something more serious. "Watched?"75Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjjaEeb3pC0
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."75Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNVIYU92WVO
Nick's jaw tightened slightly, and his gaze flicked past her, scanning the area as if expecting to catch someone lurking in the dunes.75Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqioiZrA5Pj
"You see anything?" he asked, his voice quieter now.
"No. Just felt it."75Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDpKEr9JWQk
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?"75Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPSIJkzHFTS
Chrissy shrugged. "I mean, I think so."75Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLne7Pax4Vd
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?"75Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡE3tJCrsZDv
"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."75Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrAoBH7cC8Q
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.75Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6guVgbFEqo
Maybe she had imagined it.75Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡq2J2wENDF7
But if that was true... why did Nick look like he wasn't so sure?75Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpwHSjfzR4Q
and then Add to home screen.