Scarlet's Fever
Scarlet pulled her thoughts out of her daze long enough to focus on the creek water she was wading through. Her fever was spiking again, and she knew it wouldn’t be too long before she had to stop and rest. She normally tried to steer clear the area where crowds of fresh exiles were callously dropped off on the island, but she knew that with new exiles came fresh supplies. And she desperately needed food and medicine. Many people who were still alive on the island were no longer strong enough to fight her for her pack, but she didn’t want to take any chances. She had heard about a camp of exiles on the south side of the island that were killing people and stealing their supplies. She had no desire to spend her last days on Earth caught up with a gang of thugs, so she stayed as far away from their camp as possible. Scarlet slowly made her way back to her makeshift shelter through the creek, careful to keep an eye out for anybody who may be following her or lying in wait. It was a half-day trek back to her cave, and it would be nearly impossible for anybody to track her to her hideout through the creek. It was becoming more and more difficult for her to stay hidden, as the island was becoming crowded with people who had caught the virus and were exiled from their home territories. However, the dead bodies of those who succumbed to the virus were piling up nearly as quickly as the live exiles who washed up on the shore.