She entered the kitchen.

(chapter originally by Phantom Pen at writing.com)

The kitchen was pretty much the complete opposite of the dining room, a shabby and disorganized mess. Despite knowing that she heard pots and pans clinking in the dining room, there wasn't a soul in sight, yet the noise persisted. The room wasn't dusty like the dining room, but every surface seemed to sport some kind of odd stain, and the floor was slick with some kind of grease.

Mackenzie could still walk on this slick floor, but she had to be careful. Aside from not wanting to fall, she didn't want to put a hand against anything to balance herself and make a mess of her hands. A bit ridiculous, perhaps, but that was simply how Mackenzie felt about all the mess.

On the other end of the kitchen was another doorway, the ragged wooden sign above it labeled "Servants' Quarters." It certainly seemed as if the designers of this place wanted the layout to be as realistic as possible. If the dining room and kitchen were anything to go by, the next room would probably be unsettling as well. Of course, what was the point of going to a haunted house if you didn't poke around a little bit first?

There were plenty of things to check out between Mackenzie and the next room, should she so dare. The redhead had a strong feeling that at least one of the kitchen appliances was designed to pull some kind of scare when she got close, and she was both nervous and curious to see what would happen. There was also the fact that Mackenzie could still hear the sound of kitchenware in use, despite being alone. Part of her wanted to find the source of the noise, which seemed to be coming from a corner of the kitchen...

Making her decision, Mackenzie...