I freeze. I think for a moment I even forgot to breathe. Who really needs air in their lungs right? Not me apparently. What should I do?

A list of scenarios run rampant through my head. Was it the other human that was supposed to arrive? I didn't think so. Humans don't typically make that kind of noise on purpose.

What else could it be then? A robber? Again, that didn't seem likely as they were also human and that clearly was not a human made noise. Right? Well this is supposed to be a haunted house...

I glance at the bucket, just in case. Who knows maybe there was a spirit attached to it? That could be a thing! I pick it up, turn it over and shake it. Couldn’t be too careful with murderous buckets after all.

Curiosity overtakes my fear and I make my way over to the sound. With my shoes off it makes it easier to creep across the floor over to where I heard the sound. I walk on the balls of my feet, not letting my heels drop.

I make less sound that way, or at least I believe you make less sound that way. The noise resounds once more. I think about thinking twice, instead I crouch down and peek around the corner to see. Two cats?

They were chasing each other around. They knocked over a stool, a poorly hung painting and somehow they closed the open window. I don't even know how they managed to do that.

I shake my head. Haunted house, haunted… house... As if that explained everything, which it did, obviously?

I watched the two cats for a while. They chased each other, pounced on each other, and playfully nipped. It was so cute!

I enjoyed watching them, but my mind began to wander to the scrubs of a nurse I frequently saw that were decorated with cat prints. After a while the cats seemed to calm down a bit and groomed themselves and each other.

I stopped crouching and slowly made my way over to them. I stood still and knelt a little making sure that I would be able to quickly jump up or back if they tried to bite me. They walked around my person, sniffing me, their whiskers tickling my skin.

I held my hands out to them, they sniffed them then headbutted me and nuzzled against me while purring. What friendly cats. They must have owners, right? Oh! This house did belong to someone as I was taking care of it.

Maybe she left behind her cats. Sad, but that is how some people are. I guess when you are rich enough you can always buy replacement animals. That thought made me so angry that I shivered a bit.

Maybe that wasn’t the case though. Maybe the cats were great and mighty protectors, and the entire place would come crashing to the ground without them. It seemed my mind was clearly getting away from me, I was distracted by the fluff.

After petting and playing with the cats a bit I yawned and realized that I was both hungry and tired. I put up the cleaning supplies and made my way to the kitchen to get myself some food.

I pull open the fridge and see both a water filter and bottled water. I smile when I see that they have my favorite brand and pull out a bottle. It was one of the large ones, but I felt thirsty, and I also like to have water next to me when I sleep.

I didn't immediately see anything I wanted to eat but then I opened a drawer and saw something beautiful. It was smoked salmon spread. My mouth watered and my stomach growled. How long had it been since I had any of this? Salmon outside of Alaska is hardly salmon.

I take it out of the fridge and set it onto the counter. I then look for something that I could feed the cats, as I didn’t want to share. I scan around and open the other fridge drawer. I see something labeled: for the cats. Well that answered that question.

It looked like a mix of different types of meat. Seems reasonable. Cats are carnivores after all. Unsure of what to feed them in, I dig through the cupboard and find disposable bowls. That'll work.

I wash the chemicals off my hands, feed the cats first, wash my hands again, pull out some crackers and get to work eating my meal. Oh right! Just to be safe I stick my food in the fridge, so the cats don’t eat my food too.

I run over to one of my bags and pull out some pill bottles and a pill sorter. Most people do theirs by the week, but I have one for the month. A gift from someone who said “here, use this to get your crap together. Until you do I want nothing to do with you”, so thoughtful.

I pop my pills in my mouth, take my food back out of the fridge and chow down. The salmon spread seems to melt in my mouth and make me feel quite happy.

After I finish eating the tired feeling near about slaps me in the face trying to knock me out. I dragged myself up the stairs to the second floor, I remember seeing several beds in my hurried tour.

I saw the same few rooms but this time gentle, floral smells greet me. It was still dusty up here so why did it smell so nice. That was a mystery I would have to work on solving tomorrow.

I take a quick walk around and open the doors. The first two on opposite sides of the hallway are bedrooms. That was a wonderful sight. I walk into one and look around. I open the drawers, the closet, and look in the bathroom and I see a few notes around the room.

The first one said: 'This bed is comfy and unclaimed. To claim it ‘Press E’ to sleep in it. Achievement will be unlocked.'

The note makes me smile and makes me feel welcome. Did the owner write it? I know that couldn’t be the case but was too fatigued to care.

In the closet I see the note: 'hang clothes here not bodies. No more ghosts needed. Quota achieved' Well that was easy as I wasn't a murderer. It makes me a bit wary that someone thought that a note like that was needed.

In the bathroom was a note that read 'These are clean towels and bath supplies bought just for you. Keep clean. Achievement unlocked.'

I lay down on the bed and the note was right. It was seriously comfortable. As I lay there, I wonder who left me these notes. Did the room for the other person also have notes?

I shrug my shoulders. That didn't involve me, and frankly I didn’t have the energy to look. I love how nerdy the notes are. I smile about it. In case the entity that left the notes was around or nearby I say a “thank you!” out loud to anything that might be listening.

As I am about to close my eyes, I remember one of the very few things that I was asked to do, which was to write about what I did today. I groan and make my way back downstairs, grab the journal and bring it to the note room. I write:

“Hi journal. Today I arrived at the cabin. It is gorgeous and I feel truly blessed to be able to stay here. I started my stay by cleaning a bit and playing with the two cats.

They are adorable enough that I want to stick them in my luggage when I leave and take them with me. Just kidding, probably. They wouldn’t be able to breathe, guess I have to find a different way to catnap them.”

Feeling satisfied with my documentation I close my eyes and lay my head down on the pillow. It didn’t take long for sleep to claim me.

‘Achievement unlocked.’