Irvin stood amid the carnage, his makeshift weapon dripping with blood. The adrenaline that had fueled his survival instinct began to ebb, leaving him shaken and nauseous. He glanced up at Alex, who was still perched in the tree, eyes wide with shock and fear.

"It's over," Irvin called out, his voice hoarse. "You can come down now."

Alex hesitated before slowly descending, his movements cautious and unsteady. As he reached the ground, they heard a low moan. Both whirled around to see the third member of their group, a man in his fifties whose name Irvin couldn't recall, lying on the ground. His leg was a mess of warped skin and deep gashes, the result of acid and claws from the bird creatures.

Irvin instinctively wiped his hands on his shirt only to smear his skin. Cursing, he tried to clean his body in futile attempt before giving up on it. They were naked, injured, and far from their makeshift camp. The morale that had driven them to search for food had evaporated, replaced by fear and grim realization that they aren't the only ones around.

We need to get out of here fast, before more of the monsters show up. His eyes fell on one of the fallen creatures - a bird-like monster the size of a large dog. I have to return with something to show for this mess.

"Help me with this," Irvin said to Alex, moving towards the carcass. "We're taking it back."

Alex looked at him incredulously. "What about him?" he asked, gesturing to their injured companion.

Irvin paused, considering. "You help him back," he decided. "I'll manage this on my own."

With that, Irvin began the arduous task of dragging the massive bird-creature. Alex, after a moment's hesitation, went to assist the injured man. They set off in the direction of their camp, the journey ahead long and fraught with uncertainty.

The return trip was grueling. Alex supported their wounded comrade, their progress painfully slow. Irvin struggled with his burden, the creature's weight testing the limits of his strength.

After what felt like an eternity, they finally caught sight of their makeshift shelter. It had taken them over three hours to make the journey back, though they could only guess at the actual time that had passed.

Irvin stumbled into the camp, his muscles screaming in protest with each step. The sun blazed overhead, its merciless rays beating down on his blood-smeared skin.

He dragged the monstrous bird carcass behind him, leaving a trail of strange-colored fluid in his wake.

The others stood frozen, their eyes wide with shock and confusion. Irvin barely registered their stares as he trudged past them into the space they'd cleared of rubble.

"I need rest and I'm not sitting out there," he muttered, collapsing in a corner. The carcass lay at the entrance, a grotesque testament to their new reality.

Irvin's eyelids felt like lead, but sleep eluded him. He stared at the dark, cloud-covered sky, his mind active despite his exhaustion. Will it rain soon? Maybe that'd wash away some of this filth.

He waited for someone to approach the carcass, to take initiative and start preparing the meat. But nobody moved. The men milled about outside, getting chased out by the women when they tried to get in.

Still didn't decide what to do next? Irvin thought, a mix of frustration and contempt bubbling up inside him. This place is going to get worse and worse. They need to get their shit together before the next midnight.

Time crawled by, marked only by the shifting shadows as the sun inched across the sky. Irvin's stomach growled, reminding him of the urgency of their situation. He considered getting up, trying to butcher the creature himself, but his limbs felt like they were made of stone.

Finally, a figure appeared to approach him, he kept his gaze firmly on the sky. Sarah, her arms wrapped around herself, cautiously approached him.

"What happened out there?" she asked, her voice barely above a whisper.

Irvin blinked slowly, gathering his thoughts. "Monsters," he said flatly. "Two packs. They attacked us. Tom's dead. The other guy is out with mangled leg."

Sarah's sharp intake of breath echoed in the quiet space. "And the... the thing you brought back?"

"Food," Irvin replied, his tone matter-of-fact. "If we can figure out how to prepare it."

He looked up at Sarah, meeting her eyes. "Does anyone know how to butcher meat?" He felt his neck heat up when he saw her trying to cover herself.

Sarah's brow furrowed. She glanced back at the carcass, then to the women. "I... I'm not sure. I can ask around. It can't be much different from fish or chicken, right?"

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Irvin shrugged then paused, "they might need high strength or agility to even do anything." Sarah nodded and retreated, leaving him alone with his thoughts once more.

***

Sarah went back, her arms wrapped tightly around herself. The monstrous bird carcass lay at the entrance, a grim reminder of the dangers that lurked beyond their makeshift shelter. She shuddered, turning away from the gruesome sight.

"We need to figure out what to do with... that," she said, gesturing towards the carcass. The other women in the group looked at her incredulously, their faces a mix of disgust and resignation.

"Did he say anything about how to do it?" Lisa asked, her voice barely above a whisper.

Sarah shook her head. "Just that we need to butcher it. He asked if anyone knows how."

The women exchanged uneasy glances. Sarah felt a twinge of frustration at their hesitation. We can't just let it rot, she thought.

"I've cleaned fish before," Jen offered hesitantly. "But this... this is different."

Sarah nodded, grateful for the small offer of help. "It's a start. Maybe we can figure it out together."

As they discussed the logistics of butchering the creature, Sarah's mind wandered back to her brief interaction with Irvin. His cold demeanor and matter-of-fact attitude about Tom's death sent a chill down her spine. He's only looking out for himself, she realized.

"Sarah?" Lisa's voice snapped her back to the present. "What do you think?"

Sarah blinked, refocusing on the conversation. "I think we should give it a try. We need the food, and who knows when we'll have another opportunity."

The women nodded in agreement, though their faces betrayed their reluctance. Sarah steeled herself, pushing down her own fear and disgust. We have to be strong now, she thought. We can't rely on anyone, especially not that man.

As they discussed who will take care of the carcass, Sarah found herself closing herself from the other men. There was safety in numbers, and she felt a sense of solidarity forming among them. But even as she offered words of encouragement and support to the others, she kept her own emotions tightly guarded.

I can't let anyone get too close, she reminded herself. There is nobody I can trust in this place.

***

Everyone is scared, Irvin realized. Of the monster, of this whole damn situation. A part of him understood their hesitation. I'm scared myself here, those things are out there, hunting and we are the prey to them. Chill run down his spine.

He closed his eyes, trying to pick on the murmur of voices. Sarah was talking to the others, probably relaying what he'd told her. He wondered if any of them would step up to it.

If they don't, I'll have to try, he thought. The idea of trying to figure out how to butcher the creature terrified him.

Irvin's mind drifted to the augments he'd chosen. Strength had served him well so far, but was it enough? Would intelligence have been a better choice for leading a group? Or charisma, to motivate and control them?

He shook his head. No use second-guessing it now. I'm alive. That's what matters.

Irvin's muscles ached as he pushed himself up from the cold ground. The blood caking his skin had dried, cracking with each movement. He grimaced, eyeing the others who huddled together, their voices a low murmur punctuated by occasional outbursts.

"...just sits around naked..."

"...staring at us like some creep..."

Their words drifted over to him, laced with anger and resentment. Irvin's jaw clenched. Are they serious? I brought back food, didn't I? He glanced at the monstrous bird carcass lying near the entrance. Its lifeless eyes stared back, a silent challenge.

Guess I will have to do it myself. Irvin thought, his fingers curling into fists. He approached the carcass, ignoring the way conversations hushed as he passed. Gripping the creature's leg, he began to drag it out of their makeshift shelter.

The beast was heavier than he remembered, its dead weight refusing to budge at first. Irvin strained, his muscles screaming in protest. Come on, move! With a grunt, he managed to inch it forward.

As he struggled with the carcass, Irvin's mind wandered to the morning's events. The chaos, the terror, the split-second decisions that had kept him alive.

I survived. I made it back. But at what cost? Images of Tom's final moments flashed through his mind. It was him or me, not my fault.

Outside, Irvin stared at the creature, unsure where to begin. Its alien anatomy defied his non existent knowledge of butchery. He reached out, running a hand along its strange, scale-like feathers. How do I even start with this?

"Need a hand?"

Irvin turned to see Derek, a lanky man in his thirties, approaching cautiously. Irvin nodded, grateful for the assistance unable to hide the relief in his eyes.

"You got any idea how to butcher this thing?" Irvin asked, gesturing at the carcass.

Derek shook his head. "Not really, but two heads are better than one, right?" He crouched down, examining the creature. "Maybe if we start with the wings?"

They worked in silence for a while, fumbling through the process.

Irvin's frustration grew with each failed attempt to penetrate the tough hide. This isn't working. There has to be a way, right? Its not like this one is so high level that we cant touch it?

"Dammit," he muttered, wiping sweat from his brow. "My augments aren't helping at all. You?"

Derek shrugged. "I've got double agility. Makes me quicker, but doesn't do much for this."

Irvin nodded, a realization dawning. We need the right combination or level of augments. He glanced back at the shelter, where the others remained huddled. And we need more people willing to help.

As they continued their clumsy attempts at butchery, Irvin's mind wandered. How do I get them to cooperate? To see that we need to work together to survive? He'd never been good at convincing people, preferring to rely on his own wits regardless how inefficient.

The sun crossed its peak, the only indication of its movement above the dark clouds through the shifting shadows. Irvin heard movement behind him and turned to see a small group near the rubble. They clustered together, talking and pointing at something in the distance.

"What's going on?" Irvin called out, his voice hoarse from disuse.

Couple women joined Alex, Mike and two more guys with a petite brunette whose name escaped him, turned towards him. "We're going to try to find that supermarket where you left the rest of the corpses." One of them replied, "maybe some clothes and tools if we get lucky."

Irvin frowned. Are you guys suicidal?

Or is it our best option? Irvin had hard time imagining their logic of going back to the place where two people already died.

As the group set off, Irvin turned back to the carcass. Derek had managed to pry loose a few feathers, revealing tough, sinewy flesh underneath.