Chapter 4:Sarah's Envious Rage

The air in the makeshift shelter,thick with the smells of stale bread,antiseptic,and unwashed bodies,crackled with a new kind of energy.It wasn't the panicked buzz of survival anymore;it was something…else.Respect.Awe.And,simmering beneath it all,a poisonous green envy.

Isabella,oblivious,leaned against a stack of dusty crates,exhaustion pulling at her.She'd done it,saved Michael.The memory of his ragged breathing smoothing,his feverish skin cooling beneath her touch,sent a shiver of satisfaction down her spine.She was still running on pure adrenaline,her stomach growling a protest she was too wired to heed.

Note to self:find actual food later.Maybe raid that abandoned bakery down the street?

The whispers followed her like a shadow."She's a miracle worker.""Did you see his face?He was gone.""Maybe we actually have a chance…"

All except for one.Sarah White.Her name should have been Sarah Green,Isabella thought wryly,because the woman was practically radiating jealousy.It was a tangible thing,a sour scent that clung to her like cheap perfume.

Sarah had been the shelter's resident"almost-medic,"doling out expired aspirin and bandages with an air of begrudging importance.Now?Isabella had stolen her thunder,and Sarah was not having it.

While Isabella zoned out,contemplating the structural integrity of a nearby,half-collapsed bookshelf(and mentally cataloging its potential as firewood),Sarah was busy.Busy plotting.Busy scheming.Busy being the human embodiment of a dumpster fire.

With the stealth of a caffeinated ninja,Sarah slipped a handful of protein bars–precious,hoarded protein bars–into Isabella's overflowing backpack.She then added a couple of cans of peaches(the good stuff,not the dented ones),and,for good measure,a small,surprisingly intact first-aid kit.

The audacity!Sarah thought,her lip curling.Let's see the little princess explain this.

Taking a deep breath,Sarah let loose a shriek that could shatter glass."Thief!We have a thief!"

The effect was immediate.Heads swiveled.Conversations died.The murmuring respect turned to suspicious stares.John Smith,his face etched with the perpetual worry lines of a man carrying the weight of a small civilization on his shoulders,pushed his way through the gathering crowd."What's going on here?"he demanded,his voice rough with fatigue.

Isabella,jolted out of her near-comatose state,blinked."What?What's happening?"She looked around,bewildered.Did someone lose a sock?Because,honestly,at this point,that would be a crisis.

Sarah,her eyes wide and innocent,pointed a trembling finger at Isabella's backpack."She stole supplies!I saw her!She was stuffing things into her bag!"

All eyes turned to Isabella's pack.The telltale bulge of the pilfered goods was undeniable.John Smith sighed.He looked tired,so incredibly tired."Isabella,"he began,his voice heavy with disappointment,"did you take these things?"

Isabella's mind blanked.Her mouth opened and closed like a goldfish."I…I don't…I didn't…"She gestured helplessly at her bag."I don't even know how that got there!"She felt her face flush red.She thought she's going to cry and that's the last thing she need.

Sarah,meanwhile,was practically vibrating with malicious glee.She folded her arms,a smug smirk playing on her lips."It's obvious,isn't it?She's been getting all this attention,all this praise.She probably thought she could get away with anything."

The crowd murmured,their suspicion growing.The atmosphere shifted again,the fragile hope of a few moments ago replaced by the bitter taste of betrayal.Then,a voice cut through the noise.A calm,cool voice that sent a shiver down Isabella's spine,even in her panicked state."Interesting,"Alexander Blackwood said,his eyes narrowed,scanning the scene.He hadn't moved from his position leaning against a wall,but his presence suddenly filled the room.He pushed himself off the wall,his movements fluid and graceful,like a predator sizing up its prey.He took a step closer to Isabella's bag,his gaze fixed on something seemingly insignificant.He pointed at the peach cans."Peaches,"he observed softly.His index finger gently touched a tiny smudge of something red and sticky on one of the cans,he showed it to John and said.

The murmurs of awe followed Isabella like a shadow.Everywhere she went in the makeshift sanctuary,eyes turned to her,whispers of"the Healer"and"the miracle worker"trailing in her wake.Even John Smith,the perpetually stressed leader of their little band,treated her with a newfound deference,his usual gruffness softened by gratitude.It was…intoxicating.Isabella,used to the quiet anonymity of her former life,felt a blush creep up her cheeks.She had always craved to matter,and this was her chance.

Alexander,however,remained an enigma.He watched her,that same unreadable expression on his face,the faint flicker of respect still present,but now mingled with something…else.Was it caution?Doubt?Isabella couldn't decipher it,and it gnawed at her.His approval,strangely,mattered more than the adoration of the crowd.

Not everyone was pleased with Isabella's newfound status.Sarah White,a woman who had arrived at the sanctuary days before Isabella,watched the unfolding scene with a venomous glint in her eyes.Before Isabella's arrival,Sarah had been the center of attention,her sharp wit and surprisingly effective scavenging skills earning her a place of relative comfort.Now,she felt eclipsed."She's just a lucky girl,"Sarah hissed to a small group huddled around a sputtering fire."It's not like she's special.Anyone could have stumbled onto that…that cure."Her words were laced with acid,her gaze fixed on Isabella,who was helping John Smith bandage a young boy's injured arm.The boy,barely older than ten,looked up at Isabella with wide,trusting eyes."Thank you,"he whispered."It doesn't hurt anymore."Isabella smiled,her heart swelling.This,this was what it meant to be a Healer.This was the power she had been given,the purpose she had craved.

Sarah couldn't stand it.She had to do something.She had to prove that Isabella was nothing more than a fraud,a fleeting spark of luck that would soon fizzle out.The opportunity presented itself the next morning.The sanctuary's meager food supplies were dwindling,and John Smith had organized a scavenging party.Sarah volunteered,her eyes gleaming with malicious intent.She would make sure Isabella's"luck"ran out.

The scavenging mission was perilous.The city was crawling with infected,their groans echoing through the deserted streets.Alexander,his senses heightened by his abilities,led the group,his every movement a study in controlled power.Isabella,despite her lack of combat experience,felt a surge of confidence.She had Alexander by her side,and her healing abilities,though still nascent,gave her a sense of security.Sarah,however,stayed close to Isabella,her every move calculated.She"accidentally"bumped into Isabella,sending her stumbling towards a broken window,a shard of glass glinting menacingly.Isabella,caught off guard,cried out.Alexander whirled around,his eyes blazing with a fury that sent a shiver down Sarah's spine.He moved with a speed that defied belief,catching Isabella before she could fall.He examined her quickly,his touch surprisingly gentle.There was only a small scratch,barely drawing blood."Are you alright?"he asked,his voice low and laced with concern.Isabella nodded,shaken but unharmed."I…I think so."Sarah,feigning innocence,rushed forward."Oh,Isabella,I'm so sorry!It was an accident,I swear!"But Alexander wasn't fooled.He saw the flicker of satisfaction in Sarah's eyes,the barely concealed triumph.He straightened,his gaze piercing."An accident?"he said,his voice dangerously quiet."I think not."He turned to John Smith,who had arrived at the scene,his face etched with worry."John,I believe Sarah deliberately endangered Isabella.She's a liability to this group."Sarah's face paled.She opened her mouth to protest,but John Smith,swayed by Alexander's unwavering conviction and the evidence of Sarah's past behavior,silenced her with a sharp gesture."Sarah,"he said,his voice heavy with disappointment."You will be confined to your quarters until we can determine the appropriate course of action.We cannot tolerate such recklessness,especially not now."As Sarah was led away,protesting vehemently,Isabella looked at Alexander.His expression was still intense,but there was a softness in his eyes that she hadn't seen before.A warmth."Thank you,"she whispered,her voice choked with emotion.He simply nodded,a slight smile playing on his lips."Don't mention it.It is a little annoying to watch.You have a gift,Isabella.Protect it.And…"he paused,his gaze locking with hers,"…protect yourself."The implication was clear.Isabella's power had made her a target,not just of the infected,but of the jealous,the desperate,and the power-hungry.The apocalypse had changed the rules,and survival meant more than just escaping the virus.It meant navigating a treacherous landscape of human ambition and envy.Elara chose this time to make her move.She touched Isabella on the arm."The first trail is over."She said,quietly,"There are many more to come."