I was right about the kitchen. It looked like it had the most use. Also plates with food caked on them still sat in the sink. I was pretty sure I saw some flies flying around them as well. The mental note I made was to just toss those dishes. There was no point in saving them from their neglect.

But the kitchen was a decent size. It was probable the same size as my small studio apartment. The cabinets needed new paint on them as they chipped or had dark finger spots on them. The floor crackled under my feet as the linoleum began to crack and peal off. I was pretty sure there was some water damage somewhere that never got fixed.

An old island sat at the middle of the room. It looked like it had so much use out of it that it was scratched and dirty. Papers laid on top of it along with some hand towels and even more dishes that needed to be discarded.

"Did the poor woman wash dishes or have someone come in to help her?" I didn't mean to ask that out loud.

Kate gave me a knowing smile, "I'm not sure what the situation was, but by the looks of it, it wasn't good."

We continued walking around the kitchen. Off to one side was a door leading to a massive pantry. Food was still stored inside, but I wasn't sure how good any of it was. It seemed the more I took in the place the more work I noticed.

Off the kitchen was a sunroom that overlooked the backyard. I wasn't sure what was in the back other than whatever critters would reside in tall grass. It just confused me to see the backyard in complete neglect compared to the front of the yard. Why were they completely different.

"I know what you are thinking." Kate said, "There is a fence around this part somewhere under all of that and the gardener didn't have a key to make this place nice like the rest of the lawn."

"Gardener?" I asked.

Kate gave me a smile, "I'll give you his number before I leave. Maybe you can find the key for him. Trust me we hired him to do what he could because it was just as bad as this back area."

That wasn't comforting for me to hear. It had me wondering just how long my great aunt had been missing before she disappeared. The house looks like it has been neglected for years. But I didn't voice my question. I'm sure it will be more obvious the more I look around. If the expired and rotten food will be my biggest clue as to how long it has been since someone used this space.

Taking that into mind, I looked around the sunroom. It's in worse shape than the rest of the house. Cobwebs cover the corners and there are tears in the screens. The roof has sections looking ready to fall. There is even dust caked along the walls. How long has she been gone? How long has it been until someone finally noticed that she wasn't here?

Not wanting to see anymore, I find another doorway leading into another room. It's a small bedroom. The bed is made but it looks dusty. Dust and cobwebs cover the lights around the room. I could even see the dust gathering on the furniture. The sight breaks my heart.

Stolen story; please report.

I didn't bother looking at anymore rooms as I headed for the place where the stairs are. Leaving Kate behind I quickly climb the stairs and open the doors to every room. Everything is the same. Neglected, dusty, and sad. I have my work cut out for me to clean this place up and maybe find answers to what had happened to my great aunt.

By this time, Kate had finally caught up to me. I look at her, hopefully I was displaying the sadness I was feeling, "How long has she been missing?" I ask.

"I don't know. We weren't informed of it until a few weeks ago," Kate answered it. Hearing that broke my heart even more. "We can work together to find the answers you want."

I was grateful to her for saying that. I'm sure she would have better sources than I could ever get my hands on. But I just nodded my head.

"Do you mind getting some cleaning supplies and trash bags for me? I'll figure out a plan off attack as I unpack my things." I told her. She just nodded at me and then lead me out of the house.

Together we empty my things out of her car and placed them in the room of the stairs. I wasn't sure which room I was going to sleep in yet. There were many choices with having at least five of them in the whole house. Also I still had to find the dining room and the bathrooms but in my haste to see the condition of the house, I didn't take notes if I had passed any of those rooms.

Kate left me alone in the house to run into town to get the things I needed to clean this house. I stood near the stairs as I stared at my things. I'm sure there are other places I have yet to discover and I planned to do that once Kate left for the day. Who knows what things this house has hidden under all of overgrown weeds and dust?

Until Kate returned I decided to head back up the stairs and see which room would be best for me. The first room I checked was right in front of the stairs. It had a full size bed that was made and other furniture covered in dusty sheets. The room also had a small walk in closet and a small half bath. I made a mental note that it had potential.

The next room I looked at was the one that overlooks the front yard. It was slightly bigger than the first one I looked at and had a queen size bed. Again all of the furnishing was covered in dusty sheets expect for the made bed. Attached was a full bath with a shower. The closet wasn't as big, but I figured this one would be the best option.

Exiting the room, I headed back down the stairs to start grabbing my trash bags and carried them to the room I had chosen to be mine. Once I made all the trips needed to carry my things, I decided to take off all of the dusty sheets off of the furniture and put them in a pile. I even stripped the bed until it was down to just the mattress. My next mission was to find the laundry room so I could wash all of the dusty sheets, bedding, and curtains. It looked like I had a lot to do during my whole week here.