[amanda784]

When Piper arrived at the casino she carefully hopped into one of the lower windows and into the main floor. She sat on the bare floor and took out the blueprint. It was a simple layout of gambling machines, tables, and a few bars. There was no kitchen or restaurant area. Piper pulled out a granola bar and began to eat it.

Behind or under the bar? Piper contemplated where the creatures would be hiding.

She found it hard to be motivated to hunt.

Set a few traps and on to the next place. She told herself.

[amanda784]

Piper baited and set traps behind each one of the bars. She knew she should move on to the next location and set more traps, but she no longer had the energy. Hunting had turned out far harder for her than she had ever imagined. When she had first come to this casino she had been reckless, carrying almost no supplies. Now, her she was setting traps and knowing what she was doing. Still, that first time she walked into her she had been so confident. That is what Piper was missing. That last hunt really did a number on her confidence.

[amanda784]

Piper sighed into the darkness before turning her flashlight off. She closed her eyes and listened. She could hear animals scurrying in the darkness. They were likely to be rats. She hoped they wouldn't steal the bait from her traps. A rat was not large enough to set the trap off so they could easily steal the bait without getting caught. At least they would be fed tonight. Piper sat alone in the darkness contemplating everything. She had caught amazing creatures she had never hoped to discover before. Piper had been in some tough spots and made it out. She had reason to be proud of herself. She just needed to find that feeling, that motivation to keep hunting.

[amanda784]

A loud snap could be heard echoing across the abandoned building.

I caught something! thought Piper.

Piper struggled to find her flashlight within her backpack, but as soon as her fingers felt around it she flipped it on. An animal whimpered somewhere behind the bar, likely caught in Piper's trap.

"Don't be scared, little one," said Piper.

Piper was using a fairly large trap. She was not sure without seeing the creature if "little one" was the correct term to be using, but she found talking to the animals helped calm them.

"I'm going to take you somewhere warm with lots of food," she said.

She shined the flashlight in front of the trap. It was close enough that she could see what was in without shining light directly in the creature's eyes.

[amanda784]

In the moment Piper caught the new creature she felt the confidence return. She did this for profit, but also to help these creatures. Sometimes, she was put in danger because of it, but it was all worth it in the end. Her old life of theft was not any safer and she hurt others. Now, she had a wonderful team behind her and was helping others. She should be proud of herself.

"I'm a hunter, but I wont hurt you," said Piper. "I'm here to help you."

Piper was a hunter and once again she was a proud one.

[Wild Pet Found]