POV: Jenna
Jenna wasn't sure how it had escalated so quickly. One minute, she was strolling around camp with Carl, cracking jokes and making random observations, and the next, she found herself standing face-to-face with Theo, who looked like he was about to throw a tantrum.
"What's your problem now, Theo?" Jenna asked, crossing her arms. "Still mad about the stapler incident?"
Theo clenched his fists, his eyes blazing with frustration. "It's not just that. You don't take this seriously. None of you do."
Jenna raised an eyebrow. "You're not talking about the stapler incident anymore, are you?"
Theo ignored her jab, his voice rising. "You think your little hoarding spree is going to save us? You're just a distraction, a liability. You've convinced Rick to trust you, but I can see through it. Your gang of zombies, your random crap you haul around—it's all going to get us killed."
Carl stepped forward, his stance protective. "You've got it all wrong, Theo. Jenna's hoarding saved us more than once. Maybe you should stop focusing on the little things and look at the bigger picture."
Theo glared at Carl, his expression venomous. "You're just as blind as Rick. If you can't see what she's really doing to this group, then you're all beyond saving."
Jenna took a step forward, rolling her eyes. "Okay, okay. We're all going to die because I collected a broken lamp and some old newspapers. Got it."
Theo's face contorted with rage. "You don't get it, do you? If you keep up this nonsense, there won't be any 'group' left to save."
Jenna crossed her arms, staring him down. "Then maybe it's you who doesn't get it. I'm not going anywhere, Theo. My hoard's not just 'stuff.' It's a resource. A future. And if you can't see that, then maybe you should step aside."
Theo growled under his breath and stormed off, leaving Jenna standing with a mix of irritation and relief. Carl exhaled slowly, his shoulders relaxing.
"You sure you're okay?" Carl asked, his voice soft.
Jenna shrugged, trying to brush it off. "Yeah. He's just a drama queen. But, man, he's starting to get on my nerves."
Carl chuckled, a lightness in his tone. "I don't blame you. He's got a way of making everything feel like the end of the world."
Jenna smirked. "If this really is the end of the world, I'm at least going down with a decent collection of junk."
---
POV: Rick
Rick stood at the edge of the camp, watching the interaction between Theo, Jenna, and Carl. He was torn. On the one hand, he knew Jenna's hoarding was essential, even if it seemed ridiculous at times. On the other, Theo had a point. The alliance wasn't going to hold if they didn't start addressing the growing distrust within their ranks.
"Rick," Sarah's voice broke his thoughts as she approached him, her expression grave. "What's going on with Theo?"
Rick sighed, rubbing the back of his neck. "He's got it in his head that Jenna's the problem. That the zombies are a threat, and we're all too blind to see it."
Sarah frowned. "And you think he's right?"
Rick glanced over at Jenna, who was now joking with Carl, seemingly unaffected by the confrontation. "No. But I also don't think we can ignore his concerns forever. People are starting to pick sides, Sarah. We can't afford to keep pretending everything's fine."
Sarah nodded slowly. "I get it. But if we start making choices based on fear, then we're no better than the people we're trying to survive against."
Rick was silent for a moment. "I know. But what do we do when the fear's too big to ignore?"
---
POV: Kane
Kane watched the drama unfold from a distance, his eyes gleaming with amusement. The tension between Theo and Jenna was palpable, but it was more than just personal animosity. It was a symptom of the bigger problem—control.
Jenna and Carl, though unlikely leaders, had managed to build something the humans lacked: trust, unity, and a sense of survival. But Theo was right about one thing—if the alliance wasn't handled carefully, it would crumble. Kane was simply waiting for the right moment to push it over the edge.
As Theo approached him, his expression was dark. "It's worse than I thought," Theo muttered, his frustration evident.
Kane raised an eyebrow. "How so?"
"The zombies are a ticking time bomb," Theo spat. "Jenna's not just hoarding. She's trying to take control. If she keeps pushing Rick and Carl, she'll ruin everything."
Kane nodded thoughtfully. "I agree. And that's exactly why we need to keep the pressure on."
Theo's eyes brightened. "What's the plan?"
Kane smiled faintly. "Just sit tight. We'll wait for Jenna to make her next move. Then, we strike."
---
POV: Jenna
Later that evening, Jenna found herself alone in her little corner of the camp, sorting through her collection. The day's confrontation with Theo weighed on her mind, but she wasn't about to let it ruin her mood. After all, she had supplies to organize.
She ran her hands over a bundle of twine, feeling oddly comforted by its simplicity. This was what she did best—collecting things, storing them for later use, even if no one else understood why it mattered.
Her zombie gang wandered aimlessly nearby, their groans filling the silence. One of them, a slightly taller zombie with an unsettlingly intense stare, approached her, growling softly.
Jenna glanced up at him and smiled. "What's up, buddy?"
The zombie let out a low growl, almost like a sigh. Jenna tilted her head in confusion.
"You're wondering if you made the right choice following me?" Jenna asked.
The zombie groaned again, the sound barely resembling a response. Jenna chuckled softly. "Yeah, I get it. It's a lot of chaos, isn't it?"
She leaned back against a pile of cans and shook her head. "But hey, at least you've got a front-row seat to the apocalypse."
The zombie tilted his head again, then let out a loud groan that almost sounded like agreement. Jenna snorted.
"Yeah," she said, "I thought so, too."