The Gardens.

Mackenzie led the girls through the door next to a sign reading GARDENS. They emerged in a dim, foggy area filled with plants and immediately noticed the difference in temperature, with the whole area being chilly. Thick and lush vegetation covered nearly every inch of the place. There were flowers and vines as far as the eye could see. Even the walkway seemed to be made of some kind of matted down moss. Eerily, some of the plants seemed to be moving and swaying, as if to an unnoticable breeze.

The trio slowly headed down the path, taking in the sights all around them. The flowers, most of which were unnatural colors, almost seemed to be softly glowing.

"Whoa..." said Mackenzie as she stopped to watch a nearby vine slowly move back and forth. "Are these animatronics? They look so real!"

"Why's it so chilly in here?" Willow asked, rubbing her hands across her arms. Of the three she had the most skin exposed.

"I think it helps with the creepy atmosphere." Marianne replied, examining a particularly large flower up close.

"It's creepy I guess, but not really scary." Willow commented. "Is something supposed to jump out at us or what?"

Mackenzie was about to reply to her friend with a comment about building suspense when suddenly the scares began in earnest. Although the haunted house had certainly gotten a much scarier look during its makeover, that wasn't all that it had gained. It now had quite a few nefarious tricks up its sleeve in case it found itself a deserving victim. Or in this case, multiple deserving victims.