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.197Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡt4oNv7kFSV
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.197Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpn8RdHSoMB
"Finally," Maddie teased as Chrissy dropped onto the sand. "We were about to send a search party."197Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWWJUiVT55w
Chrissy rolled her eyes, catching her breath. "Overslept." She reached for the book. "Anything interesting?"197Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9z5wJlofhq
Maddie's eyes gleamed. "More than interesting. Listen to this." She cleared her throat and read aloud:197Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJGkDyalA6S
"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."197Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrlqYjLZuXg
Chrissy shivered despite the warm breeze. "Sounds like the lighthouse story."197Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIOhb2dGdoW
Nick nodded. "The townspeople thought she was a mermaid. That's why they wanted the lighthouse keeper to give her up."197Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUcGvNGvXa6
Maddie snapped the book shut. "And that means we need to go to the lighthouse."197Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡL7fgahPUTl
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.197Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvfNt1OnMww
"We have to," she said, surprising even herself. "If there are answers, they're there."197Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ682GB42G8P
Nick sighed. "I was afraid you'd say that."197Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1WG5W3SNSi
The Lighthouse Exploration197Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyq33zNkeC3
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.197Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzZxTou8MQt
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.197Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcmTy62Mk01
"This place is straight-up haunted," Maddie whispered, running a hand along the peeling wallpaper.197Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwxvFNmwDpZ
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.197Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCZS0jkVFcb
"A Bible?" she murmured.197Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2UBZHZc83r
Nick, who had been rummaging through a nearby cabinet, glanced over. "Weird place to leave it."197Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6z9nYN6aGC
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.197Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyBhLnvWHMo
Nick bent down and picked it up. His expression shifted from confusion to shock as he turned the picture toward Chrissy.197Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡam0ROJ8glW
"Uh... is this you?"197Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyRFjT15sI0
Chrissy frowned, reaching for it. But the moment she saw the image, her breath hitched.197Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCQMQBpNvmh
The woman in the photograph wasn't her. And yet... she could have been.197Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxPkoROKvy3
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.197Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡezJaG6LdeI
Chrissy turned the photo over. Scribbled on the back, barely legible, were the letters: S & J.197Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9FdZtU3lPP
Maddie peered over her shoulder. "Who's 'S & J'?"197Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyy3kBUfoFP
Chrissy didn't answer. Her heart pounded as she stared at the image, the lighthouse's eerie silence pressing in around them.197Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUiNu0SzxHZ
She wasn't sure what she'd been hoping to find here. But this... this was something more.197Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQfsYWU5O3u
Something personal.197Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbApkeBKwpS
Something unsettling.197Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRyTqU4X7aV
And she had no idea what it meant. 197Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5blMWbSIWd
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.197Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡT63j4E568w
Why did she look like her?197Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡd5m959XTWd
Why did she feel like the lighthouse was calling her?197Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLMG7mAUCfz
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.197Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPmQJjAFdfM
Like someone was watching.197Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡG7zFkxvi2v
She sat up quickly, heart pounding, and forced herself to look outside. Nothing. Just the trees swaying in the wind.197Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCsCUDhFHY0
Still, she couldn't shake the unease.197Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1h2nvQT6v5
Tomorrow, she'd tell Nick.197Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMlpHrhVqCs
Maybe then, they'd figure out what this all meant.197Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0DSdLnIsmD
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.197Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzgeXgcvYcx
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.197Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡM2dd789ReE
Nick was already there when she arrived, standing near the water's edge, absently tossing small rocks into the surf.197Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsSJYcD7Hi7
"Hey," she called, pulling her bag higher on her shoulder.197Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoiVYf7hAA7
Nick turned, giving her a once-over like he was checking for something. Weird.197Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYnJhCaNLht
"Hey," he said. "You good?"197Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnYHTq7hokD
She hesitated. Should I even say anything? It was probably nothing. Just her mind playing tricks on her. But then again...197Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJun70KnyMP
"I don't know," she admitted. "Last night, I had this weird feeling. Like I was being watched."197Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPcch9tjDmK
That got his attention. He straightened, his easygoing expression shifting to something more serious. "Watched?"197Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHJFbOHJppf
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."197Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEijQoyS1BR
Nick's jaw tightened slightly, and his gaze flicked past her, scanning the area as if expecting to catch someone lurking in the dunes.197Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1whbXwMHWi
"You see anything?" he asked, his voice quieter now.
"No. Just felt it."197Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTh0DSLjj9l
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?"197Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡi82t4k1TUg
Chrissy shrugged. "I mean, I think so."197Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrsv888GIXl
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?"197Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVD6yUj8Z10
"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."197Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiE5Lb1mkhh
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.197Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3rPR5i8ZNt
Maybe she had imagined it.197Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZpRlF5bgqk
But if that was true... why did Nick look like he wasn't so sure?197Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6mojKDR84m
and then Add to home screen.