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After finishing with her scavenging, Ellie decides to go and drop off her Day Zero log.

As she made her way there, she kept a close eye out for Infected or Undying. With the amount of traffic going too and fro Zone one and the Mall, she didn't think they'd try anything. But, one could never be to careful...

Finally, she reaches the Bandit's territory and is directed towards a familiar tent. Upon entering, the Bandit from before grins up at her from his chair. "Well, well! Ya came back an' wit your log to I take it?" he says in a surprisingly jovial tone. Nodding, she smiles shyly as she hands over the short, but well writen log. "Good on ya! I'll make sure its put to good use!" he says boisterously as he takes the paper and tucks it away in a folder.

It was strange, to see someone so... obviously happy... Especially in a area full of Undying and Infected. Curiously, while he was looking away, Ellie studies his expression and cheerful manner a bit in a attempt to figure out why he was so happy. However, before she noticed him looking up, he looks up and catches her curious expression! "Ah, wonderin' why 'm so happy? Must not'a heard about the new Casino down in there Zone two! I tell ya it's a dream and I've not even been there yet! Hah!" he laughs as she gets a 'oh!' expression!

Now she was really curious! Seeing she was interested he nods. "Ya should go check it out fer yourself! Ya can see the lights from it all the way out here!" he says jovially before thumbing behind the tent! "I-I will! T-thanks!" she exclaims shyly before turning and leaving the tent. Once she gets outside and behind the tent she gasps! He was right! She could see the lights easily! H-how did they even have enough power for that!?

Her mind was made now! She'd go check out the Casino! She'd never been much into gambling, but a game or two couldn't hurt, right? Careful yet excited steps carry her towards the illuminated building; however, as she neared the brilliant structure, a cacophony of explosive noises shatter the relative silence around her causing her to nearly jump out of her skin! Instinctively, she dives for cover and stays there! She didn't want to be hit by another grenade... Fortunately, it quickly became apparent that the explosion wasn't due to grenades, but fireworks... Fireworks? Really!?

Ellie made no effort to leave her hiding spot, confident the Undying and Infected would be swarming the place any second now! To her surprise however, she watched as the Undying and Infected started... Shambling away... That was strange... Still... That was good! It meant there'd be no Infected or Undying to worry about! Once she saw the coast was clear, she creeps out of her hiding spot and towards the Casino.

When she finally got there, she found herself temporarily bewildered by all the bright, flashing, colorful lights! Seriously!? Where were they getting the power for all this!? The Arcade in the Mall wasn't even this flashy... Finally, once her senses returned to her she goes to step inside. However, right in front of the door off to the left was a branch... That was curious... Slowly, she looks around for who might have placed it there but found nobody. A random tree branch in front of a Casino was pretty curious indeed...

Eventually, she picks up the branch and shoves it in her bag. She'd read enough fantasy books to know that, when something completely out of the norm like that happens, you pay attention! With branch in bag and no other obstacles to stop her, Ellie finally heads inside!

Excited by her last victory, Ellie happily grabs the lever and pulls the handle!

Once again, two numbers come up and two coins drop down! Smiling brightly, she tucks the coins away as she takes another sip of her drink. This was a good idea!

Rolling
Edit: Won 2 Coins!

[Casino Coins: 54]

Suddenly, before she could pull the lever down, a strange overpowering feeling strikes her! "H-huh?" she stutters in confusion as her free hand goes to her head! Her senses were going dull and the room seemed to be distorting! What was going on!? Desperately, she tries to regain her senses byt to no avail! Finally, as everything started going dark and she began teetering on the stool, she glances at her drink! Oh no! Of course! Realizing her great folly too late, Ellie soon blacks out completely and falls off the stool onto the floor with a loud thump!

On her way down, she managed to clutch the lever and pull it! The slots rolled and matching numbers popped up, but the won coins sat unclaimed in the basket as Ellie lay unconscious on the floor...

----

Eventually, consciousness begins to return to her... Voices... she heard voices... They were distant and hazy at first, and as she opens her eyes she realizes her vision was blurry... She'd been kidnapped! How could she have been so foolish!? She knew better then to take a drink from a stranger... Especially now in the dangerous world Delta had cecome... It was all so clear now... The hospitality, the electricity...

Finally, her senses return to her enough so that she could comprehend what the loud voice in the room was saying. As she listened, she quickly realizes that the giant room she was in was filled with others! In fact, it could have been everybody from every faction for all she knew! Frowning in surprise as they were told they'd have to buy themselves or the Casino would own them, she tries to ask a question when the explainations were over. "B-but, wha-!" before she or anybody else could ask anything however, they were cut off and she was dragged chair, bag, and all to another room!

The new room was much smaller, and as she was roughly set down, she quickly realizes she wasn't alone... Two more chairs sat in the room, and in them two shivering sobbing people! A teenage boy not much older then her, and a woman, likely in her mid twenties. Soon, the voice explains that these were 'losers' of the last round... She was to be the patron of one of them, and if she was able to buy her freedom the other would be freed too! That sounded almost too good to be true... But it was a offer she couldn't refuse... But... Who to pick...?

A horrible knot in her stomach told her that this decision would be a life and death verdict for them... Swollowing, she looks the pare over carefully. The boy seemed rash, he kept struggling and making eyes at the guard. The poor woman on the other hand, looked about ready to pass out... The boy clearly wasn't even through high school... But the woman, she looked like she had already been making something of herself... It was a hard choice... A really hard choice... But finally, she made one...

"I-I..." she pauses for a moment just to make sure she was satisfied with her choice. "I-I pick the woman..." she says in a soft guilty tone... Instantly the woman begins to sob with relief as the man begins shouting frantically and struggling! It was to no avail however and he was dragged away into another room! One the woman seemed absolutely terrified off... Grimacing, she turns away from the door, back to the woman who was now being untied... Ellie had read enough books, watched enough movies, and seen enough TV shows to know... That poor boy wasn't coming back...

Finally, she too was cut loose and the pare were led into a mirrorless washroom. "T-Thank you! Oh thank you so much!" the woman exclaims once they were alone before throwing her arms around Ellie! Surprised by being suddenly hugged, she stood there awkwardly for a moment before closing her eyes and embracing back... A hug was good right now... They both needed it... The weight of playing judge with someone's life wasn't light... After a moment, they release each other and clean themselves up a bit.

Soon after, two men enter the room... One dragged the woman off while the other guided Ellie down a hall... She had to buy herself... Not just for her own survival, but for that woman's as well!