He munched furiously on the bacon as he grabbed hold of the counter stool and tried to lift himself up, glaring at us just as he glared at the meat before.

Instinctively, I pushed Ben back and we moved towards the office. I couldn't explain it, but I knew we were in danger.

My heart started beating faster as I saw his bloodshot eyes slowly appear over the counter, with the same gurgling sound rumbling in his throat, only now it started to grow into more of a growl or a screech.

The four of us backed into the office, slid the door closed and turned the lock.

"Something creepy is going on today," I said as I turned to face Ben, Jo and Wyatt.

"First, the streets are completely deserted. Then, I saw a woman eating a rat in the dumpster, now this. That guy out there said someone tried to eat his leg!"

"Someone what?!" Jo gasped. "Maybe something's happened? Has anyone seen any news today?"

Ben and Wyatt shook their heads, but what Jo said had triggered something in my memory.

"I saw something last night, on the TV in the bar," I replied. "Something about an 'outbreak'. It was in Sydney though, not here."

Their eyes widened at the word outbreak, and Wyatt turned to switch on the television as we cramped together in the tiny room, gathering around.

The same news story appeared on every channel, all showing scenes of violence in the streets. Police officers bleeding, men fighting, women and children running frantically. I gasped when some of the footage was clearly in Melbourne, only a ten minute drive from where we were.

"I thought you said it was in Sydney?" Jo asked as she turned to look at me.

Just then, I remembered the last words I saw slide across the screen the night before.

'New reports of second Halienza outbreak in a Melbourne hospital.'

"Oh no." I moaned, unable to take my eyes off the screen.

"Shhh!" hushed Ben, as the news reporter began to speak.

For anyone just joining us, there has been widespread panic down the east coast of Australia as a deadly outbreak of the Halienza Virus has left hundreds dead and an estimated thousands more infected. What started as seemingly controlled leaks at Sydney's Trinity Hospital and Melbourne's Infinity Hospital has already spread throughout New South Wales and Victoria. We've just had word that the virus has also hit Brisbane Hospital. The virus is expected to spread through to Adelaide and even up to Darwin over the next forty-eight to seventy-two hours.

We all looked at each other, eyes wide in shock, struggling to believe what we saw.

For anyone still in Sydney or Melbourne who are uninfected, you are urged to stay inside and lock your doors and windows. The infected have become severely deranged and extremely violent. We have received countless reports of the infected biting and even killing anyone they come across, including their loved ones. Do not approach the infected. I repeat; do not approach the infected. If you have been bitten, you are requested to go to the nearest hospital or medical centre for treatment as soon as possible.

More footage of the streets was shown then, this time of the infected. Their eyes were an eerie white, skin grey and spattered with blood, their faces and arms covered in open wounds and lesions.

"Zombies," whispered Ben, staring slack-jawed at the screen.

"Oh come on, Ben," Jo scoffed, putting her hands on her hips. "The media always over dramatises things. I doubt it's that serious."

"You haven't seen the guy just outside the door," Ben replied.

Just then, more footage of the violence was shown.

I watched in horror as at least a dozen police officers attempting to prevent a riot were attacked by psychotic men, women and even a few children, all furiously biting into their skin, tearing them to shreds. I felt sick as I watched the graphic scenes play out in front of me.

"We need to get rid of that guy. He's infected. He's been bitten, and he's starting to look just like them," I said, motioning to the infected people on the screen.

My stomach turned as I heard the sound of the bell ringing as the door of the diner opened, and slowly shut again.

"I hope that was him leaving," I whispered as I unlocked the door and slid it open an inch.

I peered through the gap, but could still see the infected man trying to pull himself up onto the counter. "He's still there."

"That means another one just walked in," Wyatt said as he switched off the television and stood close behind me.

Any other day I would have shivered in his close presence, but right now we stood on the edge of the end of the world, and we had to survive.

I heard a loud groan and someone, something, shuffling through the diner, edging closer to the four of us hiding in the tiny office. I held my breath, trying desperately to stay quiet. Slowly, I began sliding the door closed, but it was too late.

A rancid, decomposing face appeared on the other side of the entryway, its dilated pupils burning into me in desire.

I screamed, almost knocking Wyatt over as I jumped back into him. It let out a terrifying screech as it crammed a long, freshly mauled arm through the opening in the door.

The putrid smell of day old rotting flesh filled the room as its maggot infested hand swiped at me frantically. The mere sight of it filled my stomach with bile, but I knew I had to focus on keeping us alive.

I threw myself forward against the door, pushing it sideways as hard as I could. Wyatt leaned over me onto the door, helping me slam it into the infected arm. Ben tried to grab it and push it back onto the other side of the door, but it was swinging wildly, its yellow fingernails covered in dried blood. Jo backed herself up against the far wall, screaming in fear.

I put all my weight against the door and together Wyatt and I forced it closed, and by the sound of the sickening crack I knew we had broken the bone, but the possessed arm didn't stop. Instead, it kept waving around, only now it couldn't grab us. Ben pushed the shattered arm back through the door and we slammed it shut, locking it fast.

For a moment, everything fell silent. I leaned off of the door and tried to catch my breath. I could feel my entire body trembling. My heart pounded so hard I thought it would explode.

I could hear it, the infected monster, groaning and sniffing at the other side of the door. The groan turned into a loud growl, and it furiously rammed itself into the door. Ben and Wyatt threw themselves against it to stop it from breaking in.

"What do we do?" I asked, my legs feeling so unstable I thought I would collapse.

No-one answered.

I leaned my arms against the door again, helping Ben and Wyatt keep it closed, while Jo slid down onto the floor, her knees up against her chest as tears streamed down her face.

Over the growling I heard the bell ring again.

Another one had come for us.

All that stood between us and these mindless creatures with an insatiable hunger for human flesh was a thin sliding door.

We were trapped.

Chapter Six.

"Please! I need help!"

I froze at the sound of a desperate voice coming from inside the diner. It wasn't another of the infected who just walked in, it was a woman.

"Someone just attacked me! Hello? I need help!"

The bashing on the door stopped then, and I heard the zombie shuffling away. I felt relieved for a moment, but fear struck me when I realised the danger the woman was now in.

"Oh no. No!" she screamed as the shuffling grew faster.

The bell rang, she had run back out of the diner, and when it rang again I knew the infected creature was close behind her. Tears welled in my eyes as I heard her screams fade as she ran further down the street.

"We've got to get out of here," I said as I unlocked the door and slowly peered through the gap. "I can't see the other one. He must have gone, too," I shivered.

I wanted to run out of the diner and help the poor woman who had unknowingly saved our lives, but I knew it would be futile. Her far-off screams had already grown silent.

Slowly, I stepped out into the diner to look around, but saw no-one. I turned to look back at my friends, who stood frozen in fear.

Suddenly, I felt something plow into my side, sending me flying through the air and skidding along the tiled floor, slamming against the metal side of the fryer.

I could hear Jo screaming my name from the office and heard Wyatt and Ben running into the diner, but it was too late.

The zombie had me cornered.

My heart raced as it ran towards me, bacon fat hanging out of the corner of its mouth.

Its sinister eyes locked on me.

The look in its eyes sent shivers down my spine. I saw pure festering rage and hunger burning in its pupils. Any trace of humanity had been ripped away, its soul as black as the darkest night.

I wouldn't let my life end at the hands of this possessed being.

Empowered by my desire to live and full of adrenaline, I jumped to my feet and braced for impact, when I noticed the tray of boiling french fries Wyatt and Ben were cooking earlier sitting in the fryer next to me.

I grabbed hold of the handle with two hands, lifted it from the hot oil and swung it forward, hitting the enraged creature in the face.

I watched in horror as it stepped backwards, shrieking in pain as the searing hot oil splashed into its eyes, causing its eyelids to bubble and melt away.

Ben and Wyatt jumped out of the way of the creature as it fell backwards, waving its arms around wildly.

Within seconds, it was up again, running straight towards me once more.

I screamed and jumped backwards onto the counter, trying to slide over to the other side to reach Wyatt and Ben.

The rancid corpse grabbed my leg and started pulling me towards it, thick drool dripping from its cracked lips as it eagerly awaited the taste of my warm flesh.

Wyatt grabbed hold of my hand, trying to pull me towards him, but I knew the monster was too strong.

I screamed in terror as its contagious mouth stretched open and sunk its teeth into my right leg.

Frantically, I tried to kick it off of me, but its grip was too strong.

Searching around for something, anything, I spotted kitchen knives sitting in a wooden holder on the counter, just out of my reach.

Letting go of Wyatt's hand, I slid as the zombie pulled me closer, a string of saliva dangling from its mouth onto my leg as it prepared to bite down again.

I threw myself sideways and stretched my arm over to the knives, grabbing the handle of the biggest one. I knocked the holder over as I pulled out the knife and grabbed the handle with both hands, letting the hungry beast pull me down over the counter and onto the floor.

It made a chilling screeching sound as it pounced straight for my throat.

I threw my hands forward, stabbing it straight through its still searing eye with the knife.

Its body went limp, its screech quietening into a gurgle, followed by an eerie silence.

Catching my breath, I pushed the zombie off of me with shaking hands.

"Eva?!" I heard Wyatt yell as he ran around the counter, unable to see me. He skidded around the counter, sliding to the ground next to me.

"I'm ok," I breathed as I started to pick myself up.

"Thank god," he sighed as helped me to my feet.

We backed away from the corpse as Jo emerged slowly from the office, cupping her hands over her mouth in shock.

"I saw him bite you," said Ben.

He stood frozen behind the counter, glaring at me suspiciously.

"She's fine," replied Wyatt.

"They said anyone bitten would be infected. I saw him bite you," he said again, this time moving forward towards me.

"I said she's fine," repeated Wyatt as he stood in front of me protectively.

I put my hand on Wyatt's arm and moved out from behind him to face Ben.

"Really Ben, he's right. I'm fine. He didn't even pierce my boot, see?" I held my leg out to show him.

There were teeth marks on my boot, but nothing more than that. The boots had saved my life.

"Show me your leg," ordered Ben, unconvinced.

Wyatt stiffened in anger.

"What are you gonna do, Ben? Kill her?" he yelled.

"If she's been infected we'll all die!" Ben yelled back.