"Slow down!" Dave whispers frantically.
Dave probably has the right idea... It seemed so dusty and dark that
you didn't think anyone could live here....but there is a light
ahead...You begin to tiptoe...there's no sign of Barbara.
Why was she screaming?
The room opens into a kitchen... Stacks of dirty old dishes are piled
all over the counters...the dish drain is surprisingly clear...You
take in everything at a glance....Piles of newspaper are crammed into
a magazine stand that supports a broken chair...There's nothing else
in the room except for a fowl smell....
Another hall leads off to the right.....
Since there's no sign of Barbara...not even shoe prints against the
dusty floor....you wonder if you shouldn't abandon your search
downstairs and retreat to the staircase you previously
passed...