Page 1 of The Cult

1

Nash

“Everything you want isyours to have. Do you believe that? Because I do! And I can show you thousands of people who’ve gotten all they want by simply believing!”

The leader of The Golden Light spreads his arms out wide, as if he’s welcoming guidance from the heavens above, and looks up toward the ceiling. His tanned body and dirty blond hair in front of the royal blue curtains hanging behind him please the eye and make it hard to look away. It’s like he’s some modern day messiah come to save us all from the ugliness of life.

When he lowers his head to look at the crowd again, he smiles, and it’s like the entire room is suddenly brighter. “I know what you’re feeling. Trust me. I do. I felt it too once, but I can promise you all you desire is yours for the taking. You just have to believe.”

Micah is in rare form today. Not that he isn’t usually mesmerizing, but as I scan the audience this morning, I’m impressed by how they’re watching him in rapt attention. One guy looks like he’s going to have a seizure any minute now by the way his expression is contorting into that pained yet amazed look. The woman at the end of his row is practically levitating over her metal folding chair.

The leader never fails to get the crowd going. I bet in a past life he was one of those carnival barkers. Or maybe some crazy world leader. Then again, maybe he comes by his charisma naturally since I’ve heard him claim his great-grandfather was Jim Jones.

He moves to the left side of the dais and points at the young blond woman seated in front of him. Ramon gives me a tiny smile and then quickly returns to looking stoic, just as we’re supposed to during these things. That grin tells me he understands his job here, though. When Micah gets his treat after he’s done, Ramon’s place will be safe.

“Do you believe?” Micah asks her, staring into her eyes in that mesmerizing way that never fails to work on new recruits. “Stand and join me. Find your power deep inside.”

I know how he talks about the women here when they aren’t around, so it takes everything I have to not smirk. Power is the last thing he wants her to have.

That’s only for him.

She takes his hand and joins him on the stage, gazing up into his eyes like she’s madly in love. I’m always amazed at how easily they fall for him. All it takes are a few well-chosen words about power and believing in themselves and they’re goners.

“Tell me your name. Say it so the Universe can know you’re ready to receive all you desire,” Micah commands in a voice as smooth as silk.

The seduction plays out in front of everyone in the audience, and I have no doubt every person, male and female, would give anything to be in that blond woman’s place. She opens her mouth but nothing comes out, so he takes her by the shoulders and smiles, shaking his head as if to say, “Don’t worry. You can do this.” I’ve always thought he looked like a surfer guy or some sixties hippie at times like this.

“It’s okay. Channel that power of belief deep inside you and introduce yourself to the Universe.”

She hesitates for a few seconds, her lower lip quivering as every single person in the room waits to hear her tell Micah her name. Finally, she takes a deep breath and softly says, “Katie.”

He slides his hands from her shoulders to her face and cradles her cheeks. “I want you to know, Katie, that the Universe wants you to have all you want. Are you willing to believe that? Can you give yourself over to it so you can have all you’ve ever desired?”

The way he speaks, all breathy and soft at times and then booming and powerful at others, is nothing less than intoxicating. I look around the room again and see each person here, including some of my fellow guards, hanging on every word Micah says. Those of us who’ve been here a while are used to the show, but others like Ramon still find everything the leader says utterly enthralling.

“I am!” she says, practically sobbing. “I believe, and I’m ready to have all I’ve ever wanted!”

That breaks Ramon out of his near trance, and he turns to look at me with an expression full of relief. He may be new here, but he’s seen what happens when we don’t succeed at a task Micah’s given us. He watched Simon being led to the box last night after he failed to do what the leader wanted. He heard the screams coming from there for hours until I’m guessing Simon passed out from the agony of his punishment. Everyone heard it. It’s one of the reasons why Micah uses the box.

Fear is only useful when it’s used.

Micah and Katie turn to face the audience and smile. “Do you want to experience the bliss the Universe has given this sister of The Golden Light? If you do, say it loud! Let the Universe know you’re ready to do what it takes to have all you’ve ever dreamed of!”

As always, this part of the show becomes loud and raucous. Everyone jumps up, throws their hands in the air, and begins to profess their belief that all they want will come to them because they believe. Over and over, Micah tells them they need to show the Universe they’re ready, and each time, they react with screams and yelps.

“I believe!” some cry out. “I’m ready to receive!” others scream. Some even begin to shake uncontrollably and collapse to the ground in their enthusiasm.

It would be unnerving if I hadn’t seen this hundreds of times. I knew it was the first day I sat in the audience and listened to Micah talk about how we could all have anything our hearts desire as long as we believed and followed him.

That last part is key. Believing is not enough. Only the leader can help us have what we desire.

Ramon slowly moves over toward where I stand and stops a few inches away. “Should we do something for them?” he asks as he looks over at one guy writhing on the ground.

I shake my head without turning to face him. “No. It’s all part of the process.”

That’s what I was told the first time I saw one of Micah’s audience members begin to have a fit. I remember wanting to help the woman. She looked like she was having an epileptic attack, but the more seasoned members of the group told me, “This is how it’s supposed to go. Let the process do what it’s supposed to do.”

When I saw her later that day, she was fine, so I guess they were right. She had the same reaction to Micah every time I saw her after that, too. Some people just can’t handle what he says.

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