The momentum of the zombie sprinting sent the young man flying sideways to the floor. His attacker had wrapped both arms around him and had sunk its teeth into his face and I watched in horror as I saw it tear a big chunk of flesh from his cheek. The young man was screaming in terror and unable to free one of his arms to even fight back.

I saw that the hammer he had held was knocked clear in the collision. I raced over to it and picked it up. It was just an ordinary toolbox hammer. I turned back to the attack and the zombie continued to tear into the young man with a frenzy terrifying to witness.

I ran back towards them, and lifting the hammer saw red, and struck down on the back of the zombies head as hard as I could. It slumped momentarily, and then begun to lift its head. It shook as if in a fit, and looked directly at me. It’s stare was predatory and I was it’s prey.

It attempted to stand but it’s balance had become affected and it rose to its knees before falling back on to the young man. I raised the hammer again and struck a further two times. It was still not dead but lay there convulsing violently. I rolled it off the young man who was still alive and conscious.

"Fucking kill it!", he screamed at me with shredded lips.

My breathing was quick and shallow as shock overcame me.

"Kill it!", he screamed again.

This snapped me out of my reverie and I leaned over it and this time drove the hammer down hard repeatedly until it’s head opened and it lay still.

I stood, feeling empty and then looked back at the young man. One arm trapped beneath him in the collision had clearly been broken. His face was a ruined mess and blood ebbed and flowed from the bites received. He looked at me with stricken eyes.

"Now kill me", he said.

I looked at him without at first understanding.

"Kill me you cunt. Don’t let me turn."

The hammer had fallen back to my side.

"Please."

I breathed deep and dropped to his side. His eyes turned to mine and within them I could see pain and fear.

"Close your eyes", I said.

He held my gaze for a couple of seconds and then closed them as I had requested. I raised the hammer and struck down hard again and again and again and again.

And at the end I staggered over to the side of the road and heaved until my throat felt raw.

I clutched the hammer as I continued down the road away from the store and the horror of what had unfolded. I felt like something had changed inside me. I was now a killer but it lacked the weight of what I felt that would mean. I didn’t feel dangerous and in control, just frightened and not in control. The world around me was unraveling and I was no longer the captain of my own ship.

The sun was continuing to sink lower on the horizon and I had enough awareness remaining to know that I needed shelter from the streets during the hours of darkness. Somewhere safe where I could just sink down to the floor and let sleep take me away from this waking nightmare.