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.237Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjJehp7MJuo
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.237Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡt4CYvlXkya
"Finally," Maddie teased as Chrissy dropped onto the sand. "We were about to send a search party."237Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAnaIUQUpx6
Chrissy rolled her eyes, catching her breath. "Overslept." She reached for the book. "Anything interesting?"237Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMIiVR8Q2XE
Maddie's eyes gleamed. "More than interesting. Listen to this." She cleared her throat and read aloud:237Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkCc3RIhIRl
"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."237Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMmZJDH0mJU
Chrissy shivered despite the warm breeze. "Sounds like the lighthouse story."237Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4KwItgfZ2o
Nick nodded. "The townspeople thought she was a mermaid. That's why they wanted the lighthouse keeper to give her up."237Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSVKLA6rhfX
Maddie snapped the book shut. "And that means we need to go to the lighthouse."237Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYAFD8AeICS
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.237Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCnDR54fk3F
"We have to," she said, surprising even herself. "If there are answers, they're there."237Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOjZGnf5DIf
Nick sighed. "I was afraid you'd say that."237Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxNjXWSIoSQ
The Lighthouse Exploration237Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvpIWkpEPjg
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.237Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRCT7afOIjg
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.237Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjtALvIxlab
"This place is straight-up haunted," Maddie whispered, running a hand along the peeling wallpaper.237Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBgoBYrjFsw
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.237Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡygzK12JGTW
"A Bible?" she murmured.237Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOhMlRwdqcf
Nick, who had been rummaging through a nearby cabinet, glanced over. "Weird place to leave it."237Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1hXFlsEAin
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.237Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡufeduS6yju
Nick bent down and picked it up. His expression shifted from confusion to shock as he turned the picture toward Chrissy.237Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ90Uoll7ouQ
"Uh... is this you?"237Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2yUYchJNoR
Chrissy frowned, reaching for it. But the moment she saw the image, her breath hitched.237Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQB1LO1h5kY
The woman in the photograph wasn't her. And yet... she could have been.237Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkhT2FaeJl9
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.237Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKbyw4pKhLp
Chrissy turned the photo over. Scribbled on the back, barely legible, were the letters: S & J.237Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSq3mapoCVn
Maddie peered over her shoulder. "Who's 'S & J'?"237Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjJiGcZ7BmD
Chrissy didn't answer. Her heart pounded as she stared at the image, the lighthouse's eerie silence pressing in around them.237Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡi5h1I7Bxj6
She wasn't sure what she'd been hoping to find here. But this... this was something more.237Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVDL90QGzYG
Something personal.237Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEumqEUV2IT
Something unsettling.237Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHCUbLuJuyT
And she had no idea what it meant. 237Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcWvyaU1ATf
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.237Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ79Q21a3nO7
Why did she look like her?237Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡynnvRBpW6Z
Why did she feel like the lighthouse was calling her?237Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtpPl12Egdn
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.237Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6JYHQzhvUr
Like someone was watching.237Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡi2rhY7nwrZ
She sat up quickly, heart pounding, and forced herself to look outside. Nothing. Just the trees swaying in the wind.237Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnvyCfij1bC
Still, she couldn't shake the unease.237Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6hJ5khjgRS
Tomorrow, she'd tell Nick.237Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡj3LT7K3x9y
Maybe then, they'd figure out what this all meant.237Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKcb6AysNTB
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.237Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEK5XgtXt3V
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.237Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCNSMnygHx3
Nick was already there when she arrived, standing near the water's edge, absently tossing small rocks into the surf.237Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKscpsc69VS
"Hey," she called, pulling her bag higher on her shoulder.237Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwomQj4anBf
Nick turned, giving her a once-over like he was checking for something. Weird.237Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9EffMh2pKi
"Hey," he said. "You good?"237Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVJOen7emXW
She hesitated. Should I even say anything? It was probably nothing. Just her mind playing tricks on her. But then again...237Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEPVCdQ7IvW
"I don't know," she admitted. "Last night, I had this weird feeling. Like I was being watched."237Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRhuG7xbWcI
That got his attention. He straightened, his easygoing expression shifting to something more serious. "Watched?"237Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzP9SzRCq2Y
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."237Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡahPtQ47aLM
Nick's jaw tightened slightly, and his gaze flicked past her, scanning the area as if expecting to catch someone lurking in the dunes.237Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdD1xfy8Q3l
"You see anything?" he asked, his voice quieter now.
"No. Just felt it."237Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjayqoc64Yl
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?"237Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmcJmcR5uCw
Chrissy shrugged. "I mean, I think so."237Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtA21n9ZZfW
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?"237Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFu7lL7jJGf
"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."237Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJs8HCleG7y
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.237Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTJVe2pRhnu
Maybe she had imagined it.237Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPCPc52AQ7B
But if that was true... why did Nick look like he wasn't so sure?237Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡC0dJ6eh3AR
and then Add to home screen.