The Grip of Fear

By Solur Zeng

In an impoverished city where everyman lives for himself, Luke, an inventor, strives to improve the city through his numerous creations. One day, he stumbles upon powers of extreme danger, the roots of evil in the city that hold it back. As Luke and his friend Zack confront these dangers, he learns that if he is to save his city, he must not only confront himself, but also do the impossible and defeat fear itself...

• Language: English
• Publisher: AuthorHouse
• Release date: Jan 8, 2013
• ISBN: 9781481700146

Solur Zeng

Solur Zeng is fourteen years old and lives in California. At age 10, he published his first book, To the Land of Fantasies. Using his imagination and passion for writing, he wrote this book. In addition to writing, Solur loves to play golf and figure skate.

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Prologue

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Rain fell upon the dark city. A sea of clouds covered the sky, blocking the sun’s rays almost completely, and making it seem like night had come already. Lightning flashed across the sky, lighting up the dark city for a moment and illuminating the deserted streets. All other lights flickered out. It was a ghost town. The normal bustling of the city had stopped, and all movement had ceased. There was no sound save the pattering of the rain and the occasional thunder.

Suddenly, a noise, louder than the thunder overhead, echoed throughout the city.

Thump.

It was the footstep of a beast, a beast that towered over even the largest building.

The beast walked toward the center of the city, shaking the ground with each step. To an observer, it was a gargantuan demon, a demon with eyes glowing red and a torso made completely of dark energy.

The beast stopped. It stared at the man who was running toward it. The man stopped, and the two figures stood before each other.

I’ve waited so long for this, the demon said.

Hello, old friend, the man said. He wore a lab coat that might have been completely white at one point in time but was now coated in the dirt and grime.

"You know what I am, do you not?" Its voice was cold, filled with menace and evil.

I do, the man replied in a calm tone. The man seemed at ease before the behemoth.

And yet you still stand before me. You know you cannot defeat me. You are too weak.

As it said the words, it fired a ball of dark energy toward the man. The man made no motion to flee. He moved his right hand slightly, and a small glowing orb met the attack midair, diverting it so it narrowly missed the man’s face.

The beast continued to attack with dark energy similar to the energy that made up his body. The man continued to defend using the same light energy that he had used to deflect the first attack. It was a battle of darkness and light.

After a few attacks, one of the beast’s attacks finally struck. The dark energy rippled through the air toward the man at an astonishing speed, and though the man tried to counter it, the attack smashed right through his defenses, grazing his left arm. As the attack connected, the darkness ate away at his hand until nothing was left. The man gripped his arm, but made no sound of pain.

You are strong, but my power is infinite. You have no way to defeat me. You know that.

Suddenly, the man struck back with an attack of his own, but it was blocked easily by the beast, who prepared to strike again. With one especially strong attack, the beast smashed through the man’s defenses and obtained the advantage.

Kneel before me. The beast forced its power upon the man, but the man remained upright. The beast’s power seemed to grow with every moment that passed, and the man struggled to stay up.

I will not, the man said with evident strain.

Kneel! With a sudden burst of power, the beast forced the man to one knee.

The man collapsed, having no strength left. He turned onto his back and lay there, not able to move anymore.

Then the man began to laugh. The demon frowned.

Unless death amuses you, I see no reason to laugh. Your death is imminent, the beast said. But the man continued to laugh.

I will put an end to that insidious laughter. The demon gathered its energy once again and released it all at once, creating a wave of dark energy that surged toward the man. The man made no move to stop it. He simply continued laughing.

Even as the wave surged over his body, his laughing continued, echoing through the entire city.

Chapter One

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Zack, we’re going to be late! Hurry up! Luke yelled to his friend.

I’m trying! Hold on! Zack yelled from upstairs.

A few moments later, Zack thundered down the stairs. Luke inspected Zack’s clothing: his black suit was slightly ruffled, his tie was crooked, his hair was still messy, and his socks didn’t match, but that was typical Zack. Luke laughed. Zack didn’t care for many things, and of the things he did care about, clothing choice was definitely not among them. However, today Zack wore a suit, which showed he cared enough to dress at least better than usual.

Look, I’m only wearing this suit because we’re going to see the king, Zack said, putting on a shoe. Don’t think I’m going to wear this ever again.

Whatever you say, Zack, Luke said.

Zack inspected Luke’s clothing in turn. Luke’s attire was the white lab coat that he wore when experimenting with different substances. The coat was dirty from years of use; it was a wonder it was still intact after all the things it had gone through. Zack had told Luke to get a new lab coat, but Luke refused. According to Luke, it had sentimental value. Zack guessed it had been Luke’s father’s coat, but he had never asked.

Are you going to wear your lab coat? Zack asked, not dwelling on his own clothing.

Yes. I have to show him I’m an inventor. He might not believe me otherwise.

You’re going to need more than that coat to prove you’re an inventor, Zack said, putting on his second shoe.

Well, that’s where all my knowledge and my inventions come in, Luke said.

Let’s go, Zack said, standing up.

The two men walked out of the house. Zack locked the three locks on his front door.

Do you seriously need three locks on that door? Luke asked.

I just don’t want people taking my things, Zack replied. The two of them set out on foot, continuing their conversation as they walked.

Even if someone did get in, I set up that guard system in your house, Luke said. Are you doubting my inventions? he added, jokingly.

Of course not, Zack laughed. I just want to be safe. Better safe than sorry, right?

So what do you think the king will be like? Luke asked, changing the subject.

I don’t know, Zack responded.

Oh, I figured you’d know, Luke said.

Why is that?

Well, you do know a lot of people.

No one knows the king.

What do you mean? Luke asked in surprise.

Luke rarely paid attention to the rest of the world, being in his lab so much inventing and testing things. He assumed that the king spoke with his people often.

Well, the previous king and his royal advisor, King John and Lord Harold, died around forty years ago. No one’s heard from the new king or new advisor since they came into power. Aside from the castle, there’s no proof that there’s a king or advisor at all. Some think the new king and advisor are actually dead.

And you didn’t tell me this before I tried to get an appointment with someone who might not even exist?

Well, I figured you could do it. You have a knack for doing things others can’t do. After all, you did get an appointment with him.

Luke smiled. That was Zack. Zack had always believed in him and was always at his side when he needed him. He was the greatest friend anyone could ask for. It wasn’t that he was smart or talented; it was that he was easy to talk to and made you smile whenever he was around.

Well, no one’s ever seen the king. No one’s heard from the new king or new advisor.

That bothered Luke. He didn’t know why, but something about that made him feel uneasy.

Zack saw Luke frown. Is there something wrong? he asked.

Luke brightened up. No, just thinking about some things.

So, what’re you working on now in your lab? Zack asked,

Well, I just finished modifying this watch to stop people from stealing it, Luke said, pointing the watch on his right arm, but it’s not perfect yet, and I want to make it better.

What does it do as of now?

It helps you get out of sticky situations, Luke said. I think it would be useful if we run into the Night Sweepers.

I’d like to see it in action then, Zack said. Although I don’t want to meet the Night Sweepers again to do so. Last time was too close.

That’s what gave me the idea for this watch, Luke said. And so, I recently made a modification that should stop people from stealing it.

Good idea, the pickpockets in this city would steal something like that before you even used it.

I was thinking of adding some— Luke tripped, cutting himself off. Zack reached out his arm and caught him.

Better pay attention; the roads here aren’t good, Zack said.

The roads everywhere aren’t good, Luke said, steadying himself. He looked around. This was the worst part of the city. The roads were bumpy and crumbling. Some parts of the road were elevated a entire foot above the rest due to cracks. There was garbage everywhere because the trash depots were too far from here, and some of the people were too lazy to walk there. There were piles of garbage just sitting outside the windows where people had dumped out their trash. Rats scurried around, looking for unfinished food. The trash made the place stink. The air weighed heavily of rotten food. The sky above was especially dark in these parts, and the clouds were indistinguishable from the smog. The sun’s rays could only barely penetrate the layer of haze. The sun hadn’t shone fully through the clouds and haze in over a decade.

Luke looked at the houses. All of the houses were old and crammed together. They were all puny compared to Luke’s. It wasn’t that Luke’s house was big; it was that these houses were miniscule. The houses were just one tiny room each and were made of terrible wood.

Luke stopped walking. Hey, Zack, he said.

Zack stopped as well. Yeah? he replied.

Have you ever noticed that these houses are a lot worse than the ones in our area?

I guess so. What’s the matter?

Well, doesn’t it seem weird that our area has so much more money than the people in this area? In fact, aside from our area and the section where the nobles live, every place seems to be a giant garbage dump.

There’s always a rich section and a poorer section of a city, right?

Well, the difference is just so much, Luke said, frowning. I mean the people in our area have two-story houses while the houses here are of such bad quality; they can barely even be called houses. It seems weird that the difference could be so big.

Let’s keep going, Zack said, already walking again. Just try not to think about it.

But Luke did think about it. The difference in the qualities of living bothered him. He had been here many times before, but it only struck him today that something wasn’t right.

Does the king know? Luke wondered. Maybe I’ll bring it up when I talk to him.

They kept walking, and they came to the market.

The sky was gray with smog, as it was in many places in the city. There were beggars everywhere, and they clawed and barked at people for money. Screaming and yelling came from all sides as people angrily tried to bargain for items that were priced ridiculously high, none of which were actually worth the price they were sold for. The fruit stand’s fruits were shriveled up, and most of them were already rotten. The jewelry store’s jewelry was damaged in some way, or it wasn’t real jewelry. Everyone wore tattered clothes—ripped, dirty, or too small.

I wish we didn’t have to go through here, Luke said. I don’t like it.

Well, it’s the shortest route, Zack said. Just hold on to your things.

The market was the busiest place in the city and was known for one thing: pickpockets.

There were thieves everywhere, and the people who weren’t paying attention paid the price. Luke was ready, but most of the people in the market were not. He saw a woman grab an apple off a pile and swiftly walk away. He saw someone holding a shiny object run out of a jewelry store with two men chasing him. He saw a man slip his hand into the pocket of an unsuspecting man and pull out an object that looked like a wallet.

As Luke watched, he suddenly felt bad for the thieves. He knew most of them were too poor to buy enough food for their families, so they had to resort to stealing.

I have to help them, he thought. But I can’t do it alone.

At that moment, Luke’s watch discharged a small amount of electricity. Feeling the jolt, he looked to his right to see a man jerking his hand back from Luke’s watch. They locked eyes for a moment, and in that instant, Luke saw something in the man’s expression. The moment passed, and the man ran away, disappearing into the crowd.

What is it? Zack inquired, seeing Luke jump a little.

Someone tried to steal my watch, Luke said.

You shouldn’t keep that watch in plain sight, Zack advised.

It’s not as if he actually stole it. And now I know that my invention actually works.

What does your invention do?

It releases electricity when someone touches it—just enough to scare them away.

Simple, but effective, I guess.

Luke remembered what he had seen in the pickpocket’s eyes. He looked around him and realized something.

Everyone is like that, he thought. Around him, in everyone’s eyes, there was something unusual, which intrigued Luke. It was like looking into the depths of a vast ocean that was calm, but, at the same time, so tainted and impure that no creature could live in it. It seemed to want to draw everything in, to overrun anything it could.

What is it? Luke thought. Suddenly, it came to him, and it was as if he had known it all along.

It was sorrow. Now it seemed obvious. No one was happy with his or her life. No one could be happy with such a life.

Wherever he went into the market, he saw that look. In every child, man, and woman he saw sorrow. It was frightening. He could feel it around him, pressing down on him, weighing him down. He knew the sorrow wanted to crawl inside of him as well.

Luke grabbed Zack’s arm. Let’s get out of here, he said quickly, and pulled Zack forward, running toward the other end of the market.

As they exited the market, Zack stopped. What was that? he asked.

I … I don’t know, Luke said, panting. In the market, when I … I caught the thief trying to steal my watch. I … I looked into his eyes, and I felt something. Then, I started feeling it everywhere … in everyone. It was the weirdest thing.

Are you feeling alright? Zack inquired. You’re not making any sense. I think the stress of the king’s meeting is getting to you.

No, it’s something else. I know I’ve felt it before, but I can’t describe it, Luke said.

Let’s keep moving, Zack said.

As they walked, Luke thought about the sorrow. What was it? He looked into Zack’s eyes, but he didn’t see sorrow there.

What is it? Zack asked, seeing Luke look at him. You look troubled.

I’m fine, Luke said, gazing forward again. Luke didn’t want to bother Zack with his new knowledge. Just knowing that this sorrow existed was pressuring. Even away from the market, he could feel it pressing down on him. It hadn’t left him; it was still there. Just thinking of things. Nothing else, he added.

Despite Luke’s reassurance, Zack knew something was wrong. Luke never acted like this. Sure, Luke was often deep in thought and would be quiet, like today, but now he was acting different. Only Zack, who had been friends with Luke since they were young, could have known that Luke was hiding something. Zack was determined to help his friend, but he knew there would be no use in prying, so he kept walking.

He played back in his head what Luke had said. Luke had looked into someone’s eyes and felt something. Zack had never been one who could tell someone’s thoughts through their eyes, so he doubted he would understand what Luke was talking about, but he felt it was worth an effort.

Zack looked around and saw a man walking out of the market. The man was hunched over, as if carrying a heavy burden on his shoulders. He looked up and looked at Zack. In the brief moment that they locked eyes, Zack felt a small spark of something peculiar. Zack knew he had felt the feeling before, but he didn’t know what it was.

Then it was gone. The man looked away, and the feeling immediately disappeared. Zack tried to imagine the feeling again but couldn’t.

For Luke, walking was quickly becoming an intense workout. With every step, the sorrow slowly surrounded him and hindered his movements. Every step was like moving through knee-deep mud.

Luke took a step. And another. And another. And then he realized that he couldn’t move his leg. Sorrow was weighing him down.

Luke lounged forward; wrenching his legs free from the sorrow, he kept moving.

But the sorrow came back again. And again. And again.

Sorrow, be gone! Luke concentrated his energy, and the sorrow erupted from his body. But as before, it didn’t stay down. The sorrow once again wrapped around Luke’s legs and forced him to stop. Luke concentrated and escaped once more, but no matter how many times Luke expelled it, the sorrow would not leave.

Luke prepared for the sorrow once more, but this time he found it was not surrounding him. Instead, the sorrow came together in front of him in a humanoid form. The figure had a head, two arms, and two legs, but it had no orifices save two glowing, red eyes. It seemed to be made of a purple, ethereal substance that constantly shifted and moved like a gas. The figure stood a few paces in front of Luke.

Who are you? Luke asked.

I am Sorrow, it spoke plainly. The sound resonated within Luke’s mind.

It raised its right hand, and a powerful wave of sorrow washed over Luke. Luke knew immediately that this was true sorrow, for he had felt it before. Luke suddenly recalled a memory of his father, one where he had felt the same sorrow that filled him now.

Luke fell to one knee. The sorrow tightened around his throat, and Luke struggled to breathe. He tried to fight the sensation, but it was to no avail. The feeling constricted his muscles and robbed him of his will to fight. As seconds that felt like hours ticked by, Luke felt his energy ebb away. He knew he couldn’t fight it much longer.

Zack suddenly realized Luke was not next to him anymore. He had continued to walk, so deep in thought about what he had seen that he did not notice Luke stop walking beside him. He turned back just in time to see his friend fall to his. Zack immediately ran to his friend’s side. Luke what’s wrong? he asked. Although he couldn’t see Sorrow, he could see in Luke’s eyes that sorrow was the reason Luke had stopped. Zack could see that sorrow had already washed over Luke’s right eye and was welling up in his left one. Zack didn’t want to even think about how much sorrow was in the rest of Luke’s body.

Luke looked up at his friend and mustered a smile. Zack was always there for him. No matter what the problem, Zack always helped him through the ordeal. As he thought of his friend, another feeling surged through his veins. The new feeling expelled the sorrow from his body. As the last bits of sorrow left, Luke’s muscles loosened, and he was able to move again.

Luke stood up.

How did you free yourself from my grasp? Sorrow asked.

I am not entirely sure, Luke said. But I know that you no longer have power over me. Luke tried to remember the feeling that had banished the sorrow from his body. A new positive energy surrounded his body, and he glowed brightly. The light seemed to bother Sorrow, and he shielded his eyes from it.

It would seem that there is no point in staying here any longer, Sorrow said. His body began to disappear until only his face was left. "However, do not underestimate me. I’ll be back."

Then his face disappeared too. Luke released the energy built up within him, and the glow around him died down.

Zack had not heard or seen Sorrow, but he could see that the tension had begun to leave his friend.

Luke, Zack said cautiously. Are you alright?

Luke knew he hadn’t defeated Sorrow, but he had somehow freed himself from the sorrow that was harassing him, and as long as he could do that, sorrow would not be a big threat anymore.

Luke looked at his friend. Thanks to you I am. If it weren’t for you, I would have fallen to Sorrow.

Is that what it’s called? Zack asked.

I’m not sure, but I think so, Luke said, looking at Zack. Did you see Sorrow too?

"Well, you said something about seeing it