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.671Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOQS0cFUjcp
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.671Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtOR5gpYY28
"Finally," Maddie teased as Chrissy dropped onto the sand. "We were about to send a search party."671Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡw8E5izabp0
Chrissy rolled her eyes, catching her breath. "Overslept." She reached for the book. "Anything interesting?"671Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMBQsEG65bk
Maddie's eyes gleamed. "More than interesting. Listen to this." She cleared her throat and read aloud:671Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyL0aVakO2I
"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."671Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPWVOJIxiSa
Chrissy shivered despite the warm breeze. "Sounds like the lighthouse story."671Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8eq24rVO3n
Nick nodded. "The townspeople thought she was a mermaid. That's why they wanted the lighthouse keeper to give her up."671Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡx8MENE1V7i
Maddie snapped the book shut. "And that means we need to go to the lighthouse."671Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMYp9wHRtMg
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.671Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEUQybqHMsS
"We have to," she said, surprising even herself. "If there are answers, they're there."671Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMFPoeV6ISP
Nick sighed. "I was afraid you'd say that."671Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5VtXJKxyRc
The Lighthouse Exploration671Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIKQgWaHCMS
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.671Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡh7xTVCTLVM
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.671Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJYhY6577A0
"This place is straight-up haunted," Maddie whispered, running a hand along the peeling wallpaper.671Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjAPX1sYi4t
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.671Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtPJkUaLOGz
"A Bible?" she murmured.671Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDdKh8cECr9
Nick, who had been rummaging through a nearby cabinet, glanced over. "Weird place to leave it."671Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzR0r07a9Xt
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.671Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡO5TAum99H8
Nick bent down and picked it up. His expression shifted from confusion to shock as he turned the picture toward Chrissy.671Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡW20QKKEJ9v
"Uh... is this you?"671Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoLsOjd4Oc3
Chrissy frowned, reaching for it. But the moment she saw the image, her breath hitched.671Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZzwBqk9ImP
The woman in the photograph wasn't her. And yet... she could have been.671Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDOuQovo9Uk
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.671Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0bqmDm4vuw
Chrissy turned the photo over. Scribbled on the back, barely legible, were the letters: S & J.671Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGtqsFr8Y1C
Maddie peered over her shoulder. "Who's 'S & J'?"671Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbIAZmUaOWl
Chrissy didn't answer. Her heart pounded as she stared at the image, the lighthouse's eerie silence pressing in around them.671Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGQ6Dij2UTL
She wasn't sure what she'd been hoping to find here. But this... this was something more.671Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZxXVjYew3x
Something personal.671Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡD7yB07Oxnq
Something unsettling.671Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnqHS8JqjCY
And she had no idea what it meant. 671Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLImgvq6xL0
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.671Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlQUCya1s4N
Why did she look like her?671Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHoZcAy4SR8
Why did she feel like the lighthouse was calling her?671Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7VnP9Na9q6
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.671Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNO6nYEysXA
Like someone was watching.671Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLyZf8OMeiK
She sat up quickly, heart pounding, and forced herself to look outside. Nothing. Just the trees swaying in the wind.671Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGrrLtYgWsN
Still, she couldn't shake the unease.671Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡL8JwOmxMP7
Tomorrow, she'd tell Nick.671Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvHSHFBEHUB
Maybe then, they'd figure out what this all meant.671Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsXhRnU6lHg
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.671Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuuZyQl5I30
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.671Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTgc3bxnWlL
Nick was already there when she arrived, standing near the water's edge, absently tossing small rocks into the surf.671Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWQopieltzk
"Hey," she called, pulling her bag higher on her shoulder.671Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2WjHrUO4We
Nick turned, giving her a once-over like he was checking for something. Weird.671Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVoBisLKOnY
"Hey," he said. "You good?"671Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpDvZoPnQfr
She hesitated. Should I even say anything? It was probably nothing. Just her mind playing tricks on her. But then again...671Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNti63Jw6bg
"I don't know," she admitted. "Last night, I had this weird feeling. Like I was being watched."671Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5jsEtMLWV9
That got his attention. He straightened, his easygoing expression shifting to something more serious. "Watched?"671Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkfT6lBAp9Z
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."671Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZlsgub1TL8
Nick's jaw tightened slightly, and his gaze flicked past her, scanning the area as if expecting to catch someone lurking in the dunes.671Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9u52SQDC0K
"You see anything?" he asked, his voice quieter now.
"No. Just felt it."671Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjM73XrWkQp
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?"671Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡS1yxBu7a7T
Chrissy shrugged. "I mean, I think so."671Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnMQdH5XhoV
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?"671Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnMDUoI0hDH
"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."671Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwDBuFMdgh6
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.671Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCtjRlmVI4X
Maybe she had imagined it.671Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡexoytIvLTy
But if that was true... why did Nick look like he wasn't so sure?671Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGwyXsgoxa9
and then Add to home screen.