Believers

By Michael Moran

Jerry Miller began his life as a normal boy. He was born and raised in Miami, Florida. His parents were kind, hard-working, and completely normal. Before he spoke his first word, however, he already discovered one of his many superpowers, proving he was anything but normal. He tried hiding his powers and living like an ordinary boy, bu

• Language: English
• Publisher: URLink Print & Media, LLC
• Release date: Nov 20, 2019
• ISBN: 9781647530204

Michael Moran

Michael Moran is an author and analyst of international affairs, a digital documentarian and Managing Director, Global Risk Analysis at Control Risks, a global political risk and security consultancy. A foreign policy journalist and geostrategist for investment banks and financial consultancies, he is author of The Reckoning: Debt, Democracy and the Future of American Power and co-author of the 2012 book The Fastest Billion: The Story Behind Africa's Economic Revolution. Moran served as Editor-in-Chief at the investment bank Renaissance Capital and has been a collaborator of renowned economist Nouriel Roubini as well commentator for Slate, the BBC and NBC News. He is also an adjunct professor of journalism at Bard College and was the founding editor of the Emmy award-winning Crisis Guides documentary series for the Council on Foreign Relations. Moran's career has included periods at major media outlets: Senior correspondent, MSNBC.com (2003-05); senior producer, International News and Special Reports, MSNBC.com (1996-2003); U.S. affairs analyst, BBC World Service (1993-96); senior editor, Radio Free Europe (1990-93), former reporter for Associated Press, St. Petersburg Times, Sarasota Herald-Tribune(1985-88). Moran also served as Hearst New Media Fellow at Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism and was a longtime board member of the Overseas Press Club, as well as a judge of its annual awards. His work has appeared in the New York Times, The Washington Post, Newsweek, The Economist, The Spectator (UK), The Guardian, The New Leader, and has spoken on National Public Radio and in many other outlets. He has lectured at dozens of universities and think tanks around the world. From 2005 to June 2009, he served as executive editor of CFR.org, the website of the Council on Foreign Relations. Moran is also a foreign affairs columnist for Globalpost.com, and a member of the communications advisory board of Human Rights Watch. From 2009 to May 2011, he served as vice president, executive editor and senior geostrategy analyst at Roubini Global Economics, the macro/strategy consultancy founded by economist Nouriel Roubini.

Book preview

DEDICATION

I dedicate this novel to John Michael Grimes, Joe Colson, Ryan Hamel, Ryan Ramsaeur, Mona Mansoor, my family, and everyone who helped me along the way. You’re all inspirations in my life, and I couldn’t have done it without you.

CONTENTS

Introduction

Chapter 1: First Word

Chapter 2: Childhood

Chapter 3: Lost and Found

Chapter 4: Making History

Chapter 5: Test Run

Chapter 6: Big Decision

Chapter 7: Dreams

Chapter 8: Fishing

Chapter 9: First Blood

Chapter 10: Hospital Visit

Chapter 11: Dynamite City

Chapter 12: Jealousy and Truth

Chapter 13: Revenge

Chapter 14: Questions

Chapter 15: New Beginning

Chapter 16: Cutting Corners

Chapter 17: Doing it Right

Chapter 18: Calm before the Storm

Chapter 19: Advanced Training

Chapter 20: Applied Learning

Chapter 21: Reaching Out

Chapter 22: Declaration of War

Chapter 23: Final Showdown

Chapter 24: Praise and Glory

Chapter 25: Fun in the Sun

Chapter 26: A Night to Remember

Chapter 27: Emergence of Evil

Chapter 28: Losing Control

Chapter 29: Hope

Chapter 30: Final Battle

Chapter 31: Love and Loss

Bonus Content: A Document about Auras by Jerry Miller

Advanced Training and Tips

TEACHER’S GUIDE FOR BELIEVERS

Themes in Novel

Vocabulary, Questions, and Activities for Each Chapter

Bonus Content Essay

About the Author

About the Book

INTRODUCTION

Children have such wild imaginations. They believe anything is possible, taking on challenges without a second thought. They have unrivaled curiosity and an insatiable desire for exploration and adventure. They see the world as a realm of infinite opportunities, a chance to find treasure, hopes, and dreams.

Adults are boring, severely lacking in vision and wonder. They calculate and plan everything to ensure success, trying to avoid surprises and mishaps. They no longer want to learn or grow and prefer to follow routines and play it safe. Their hopes and dreams often relate to money and similar rewards that make life easier but not better.

What if there was a way to retain a youthful spirit beyond childhood? What would happen if adults had the courage and desire to make their beliefs a reality? If one could do it, would others follow? Can the world evolve and become more than what it is today?

This is Jerry Miller’s story and how he changed the world—forever.

CHAPTER 1

First Word

The doctor says there’s no hope. Our son may never talk and could have a disability. He may never be like other children, and we have to come to terms with it. Who says that to a mother? Sandra asked her husband.

Don’t worry, honey, he’ll talk soon. Jerry understands us perfectly and responds in his own way. Look at how he plays with Happy.

Tom, he points at the dog and makes noises. That’s not talking—that’s chirping, like a bird.

Tom chuckled at the thought of his son chirping like a bird, but Sandra did not laugh. She smiled half-heartedly because she loved her husband, but she was looking for relief. Tom continued talking and tried his best to make her feel better. At least he’s a cute bird and healthy too. He eats well, runs around, and does everything else a normal kid would. It’ll work out soon, I promise.

Sandra turned, looked into her husband’s eyes, and said, Tom, don’t make a promise you can’t keep. I love you, and I’ll hold you to your word beyond the grave if I have to.

She kissed her husband in bed and gently leaned against him as he read a book titled Where Did Conservatism Go? This was a typical night for her, always worrying about her son.

It was the year 2004; Jerry was four years old and still could not speak. Most children begin talking after their first or second birthday, but not Jerry. Like a good mother, Sandra Miller tried everything possible to help him. She read stories aloud, played music and word games, watched educational TV shows, and read parenting magazines. She tried anything proven to help children learn, but nothing worked. Sandra asked friends, family members, professionals, and even strangers for advice, but nobody had a clue. Sometimes people had the nerve to judge her, as if she was responsible for her son’s inability to speak. Sandra felt like a complete failure, but her husband always comforted her.

Thomas Miller was an old-fashioned American man—following traditions and exercising patience at all times. He owned and managed a successful private business selling boats in Miami, Florida. He appreciated every penny he earned, making sure to save up or spend it on his wife and son. Having few employees and completing most of the work himself, he often arrived home late on weekdays but always made sure to leave weekends open for his family. Sometimes he felt tired and wanted to complain, but he never did. He believed everything happened for a reason—good or bad—and always found a way to learn and grow from his experiences. He also believed his son would speak one day when the time was right. He never stopped believing in Jerry, not for a second. When Mr. Miller tried comforting his wife, however, she cried.

Sandra Miller was a strong Cuban woman. She only wanted to be the best wife and mother in the world. She never graduated college, but she had a flexible job that allowed her to earn money and take care of her family’s needs. She worked as a writer for a magazine company, which allowed her freedom to leave work whenever needed to help her husband or son, all in the name of research for her magazine articles. She always cooked dinner, maintained a clean house, did the grocery shopping, and made sure her family was happy. She was the glue that kept everyone together. There was only one thing she could not do: find a way to make Jerry speak, which led to her inevitable crying at the end of each night in bed.

On one special night, however, Jerry woke up with a secret desire. He was not crying or making a fuss; he was a good little boy who often had trouble sleeping. Unbeknownst to his parents, Jerry could hear every sound in the house: his father flipping a book page and his mother crying softly. He also heard everything happening in his neighborhood, including animals and insects, arguments in other households, kids sneaking out of their rooms, and even late-night television shows. Jerry was too young to understand everything he heard, so each noise caused distraction and fear. The only way Jerry ever slept well was when he buried himself under blankets and snuggled with his mother. Therefore, he rolled out of bed to go to his parents’ room.

After walking a few steps down the hall, Jerry found his parents’ room with the door slightly ajar. He used both hands and slowly pushed it open. Sandra was lying in bed, crying quietly in her husband’s arms as he tried to comfort her. When she heard the door open, however, she quickly wiped her tears away, looked toward the door, and saw Jerry. With a sympathetic and tired tone, Sandra said, Hey, munchkin, having trouble sleeping again? Come to bed with us.

You can’t always coddle him, Sandy. Sometimes you gotta be tough and tell him to go back to his bed.

Tom, we have our whole lives to be strict with him. For now, I just want to cuddle with my baby and—

Cookie.

Thomas and Sandra suddenly grew silent and still. They looked at each other and asked, Did you say something?

Cookie.

They looked at each other again and then at Jerry, who was at the edge of the bed staring at his parents. Sandra and Thomas could not believe their ears. After four years, their son finally spoke his first word because he wanted a cookie. They jumped out of bed, hugged their son extra tightly, picked him up, and ran downstairs to the kitchen. Sandra was hysterical! She paced around the house, called all her family and friends, and told them the story repeatedly of how her son spoke for the very first time.

Thomas opened a cabinet door, took out a box of vanilla cream cookies, and placed it on the dinner table in front of his son. Then he sat, watching in awe, as Jerry repeatedly said the word cookie and ate all the cookies he wanted that night.

CHAPTER 2

Childhood

Who’s that? a girl asked.

I don’t know, a boy answered.

Why doesn’t he talk?

Maybe he’s scared.

Maybe he’s sick, another girl said with a worried voice.

Can he hear us? another boy asked.

I don’t know, but let’s see.

It was just another day in elementary school in the year 2007. Second-grade students were outside enjoying recess time, climbing monkey bars, going down slides, and playing hide-and-seek. All the children were running, jumping, yelling, and playing together, except Jerry; he often hid alone inside a large cement tunnel. He could not communicate well with others because he was still learning how to talk. They would ask questions, make up stories, and poke fun at Jerry, but he could not respond. He did not like attention and tried to keep his distance, but his classmates were persistent and approached him daily for interrogation.

Hey, you, what’s your name? a boy asked.

…

How old are you? another boy asked.

…

Do you hate us? a girl asked with a scared voice.

…

Try as they may, the children could not reach Jerry. All their questions remained unanswered. They soon began speaking among themselves.

What’s wrong with him? a girl asked.

I don’t know, a boy replied.

I know! the group leader exclaimed.

You do? everyone asked curiously.

Yep.

What is it?

The group leader gathered everyone and whispered, He’s got cooties.

Yuck! Everybody run! a little girl screamed, and everyone ran away frantically.

Anytime something like that happened, Jerry either stood still in confusion or ran away to another hiding spot. Unlike other children, Jerry could not understand the world for special reasons. He could hear everything and everyone in the classroom, every whisper and every rumor. If there were classrooms next door, he could hear those children and teachers too. It was too much information for him to process. Everything entered his mind simultaneously and confused him. The only person he could understand was his therapist, Ms. Astuto.

She was a polite and patient young woman. She worked alone with Jerry in an isolated classroom, far away from everyone else. He could still hear the outside world, so she tried giving him headphones to reduce incoming sounds, but he did not like them. Eventually she provided small pillows for Jerry to hold up against his ears. That way he could feel comfortable and focus on Ms. Astuto’s voice. She would teach him reading and writing skills and only ask one question at a time. She would speak, write the question down on paper, and wait for Jerry to respond. No matter how long it took, Ms. Astuto never lost her patience. If Jerry could not respond with words, he would draw a picture. His drawing skills were poor at best, but Ms. Astuto considered his drawings better than no response at all.

By fourth grade, Jerry finally learned how to communicate properly. Unfortunately, he caused trouble for many people along the way. With his super-hearing, Jerry told Ms. Astuto everything he heard during school.

I heard students talking badly about Ms. Hampton. They said she was mean and old and smelled like a dead rat. They say bad things about me too. They don’t like me very much; they think I’m dumb. A few weeks ago, I heard Ms. Peterson talking to Mr. Smith, and she liked him. They went out on a few dates, but this week I heard her crying on the phone. She said that Mr. Smith cheated on her. What does that mean?

Ms. Astuto gasped with surprise and shock. Jerry told her all kinds of things, some of which were not very appropriate. She thought at first that Jerry was lying or making up stories. However, she believed in Jerry and thoroughly investigated. It turned out he was always telling the truth. Word spread quickly that Jerry was quite the detective and a snitch. Everyone kept their distance, including students, teachers, and staff members. Nobody wanted to be friends with Jerry because of the trouble he might cause.

In fifth grade, a new student named Ryan entered the school. He was German and Colombian, a unique mix that intrigued everyone. He was athletic, charming, and witty. He was also adventurous and loved sharing stories. Everything he said was wild and imaginative, with a clever mix of truth and falsehood, but most people could not tell the difference. Within a week, everyone liked him, and he soon became the most popular kid in school. There was only one person who did not admire him: Jerry.

Ryan thought himself the coolest guy around and wondered why Jerry did not like him. At first, Ryan felt annoyed but soon found interest in the matter. He took it as a personal challenge to get Jerry to like him. One day, Ryan approached Jerry alone during P.E. class. Jerry was sitting on the outskirts of the field playing with blades of grass. When they spoke for the first time, Ryan learned more than he bargained for.

Are you Jerry?

Yeah.

My name’s Ryan—new kid in town.

Okay, Jerry said nonchalantly.

Okay? What do you mean okay? Ryan asked with attitude.

 …

Ryan was shocked and irritated. All the other kids were excited to meet him. Jerry, however, remained relatively silent and did not seem to care about him at all. Nonetheless, Ryan continued the conversation.

Whatever. I came to see if you wanted to play a game or something.

No thanks, Jerry replied.

Why not? Haven’t you heard anything about me?

Yes.

And? Ryan asked, expecting a compliment or praise.

Jerry stopped playing with grass, looked at Ryan with a serious face, and said, You tell different stories to everyone, which means you’re lying.

What? That’s not true!

Yes, it is.

No, it’s not! Ryan exclaimed.

 …

Jerry sat quietly on the grass, and Ryan was frustrated. He thought Jerry was being a jerk and wanted to scream at him. However, he always thought people might be watching and kept his cool. He soon knelt down and whispered to Jerry, Dude, it’s part of the game.

What game? Jerry asked.

Life, getting people to like you, being popular: it’s all part of the game.

What do you mean?

Sometimes you gotta lie, tell crazy stories, and shake things up—anything to get attention, Ryan explained.

I don’t get it. Jerry said, looking at Ryan, waiting for further explanation.

Ryan looked dumbfounded. He thought Jerry was messing with him, but, in truth, Jerry had no idea what Ryan was talking about. Jerry looked genuinely confused. Ryan took a deep breath and asked Jerry, How many friends do you have?

 …

Five?

 …

Three?

 …

One?

 …

When Jerry did not respond, Ryan started shaking his head and said, You don’t have any friends, do you?

Nope.

At that moment, it all hit Ryan like a sledgehammer. Jerry was a lost kid; he was living like a hermit, isolated, and alone at school. Nobody cared about or understood him. Ryan could not imagine a life without friends, and Jerry was living that life. He felt bad for Jerry and said, How about this. We’ll be friends as long as you follow whatever I say.

Like a slave?

No! I’ve got a lot to show you, and it’ll be fun. You’ll be my sidekick, Ryan replied with a smile.

 …

Jerry remained quiet, and Ryan said, It’s your choice, man. Then he turned around and was about to walk away when Jerry said, Okay.

From that moment on, Ryan and Jerry became the best of friends. Throughout fifth grade and most of middle school, the two were inseparable. They played games, went to parties, made new friends, picked the same classes, and met each other’s families. Ryan even helped Jerry get his first girlfriend in sixth grade. It did not last very long, but it was a step in the right direction. Jerry was becoming a complete human being, and Ryan enjoyed having a protégé. In the year 2013, at the end of eighth grade, however, it all went south.

Ryan’s popularity reached an all-time high when he started dating the hottest girl in school, Tiffany. She had long blond hair and always wore pink. She stood out everywhere and attracted lots of attention. But not everyone was happy about Ryan dating her.

One day, a big kid found Jerry and Ryan alone after school. They were hanging out inside an empty hallway waiting for their parents to pick them up. Jerry was playing Gameboy, and Ryan was listening to music. The big kid with huge arms and a black tank-top shirt came walking down the hallway and seemed cool and casual, but Jerry had a feeling something was wrong. He nudged Ryan to take off his headphones.

Hey, Ryan, who’s that guy?

I don’t know.

He’s kinda big, isn’t he? Jerry asked worriedly.

Don’t worry about it.

Ryan shrugged, put his headphones back on, and continued listening to music—big mistake. The kid walked up with bulging muscles and pulsating veins. He looked like he was seventeen years old and did not belong in middle school. He grabbed Ryan by his shirt, picked him up off the ground, and slammed him into the wall. He began cursing and yelling at Ryan, divulging his story with anger and spit. They soon found out who he was: Seth, Tiffany’s older brother, and he was furious about Ryan dating his sister. Jerry grew scared and ran off to find help, but he quickly stopped and realized, If I run away now, Ryan may get severely hurt. By the time I find someone to help, it might be too late.

Putting all his fears behind him, Jerry charged head-on at Tiffany’s brother. He used his shoulder and crashed into Seth, but it did little to stop him. In fact, he looked at Jerry with bloodshot red eyes and crouched down, ready to pounce like a devil cat. Jerry turned around and tried to run away, but Seth caught his arm and swung him into the wall. Jerry scrambled to recover quickly and escape, but Seth pushed Jerry into the wall again and punched him in the stomach. Jerry fell to the floor and could barely breathe. His vision was getting blurry, and he was having trouble staying conscious.

Ryan grabbed his eighth-grade math textbook out of his backpack and hit Seth in the back of the head. Unfortunately, Seth turned around and grinned, as if unaffected by the blow and ready to rumble. Ryan retreated slowly and said, You better back off before someone comes and sees what you’ve done. And wait until Tiffany finds out!

Don’t talk about my sister! Seth retorted irritably.

He charged forward with both arms and bulldozed Ryan to the ground. He towered over him like a beast savoring the moment before killing his prey. Then he began kicking Ryan on the floor: one, two, three times in the stomach and ribs.

Jerry watched but could not handle the reality of the situation; he inevitably lost control. His body levitated off the ground and placed him on his feet, but his head was hanging down, and his dark brown hair covered his face. Soon his hair began floating upward, revealing flaming red skin and eyes black as night. He extended his right arm, and invisible energy wrapped around Seth. It paralyzed him like a straitjacket, and he could not move. Jerry screamed, Get away from him now!

In one violent thrust, he launched Seth across the hall and into a wall. Crash! Seth’s body accidentally smashed a red fire alarm box.

Within seconds, Jerry saw his normal, carefree life falling apart. The fire alarm sounded, and water poured down from the ceiling sprinklers. He watched Ryan and Seth run away in fear, as if they had seen a monster. He would never forget the terror he saw in their eyes and Ryan’s trembling gaze before running away. Jerry felt cold and alone as water seeped into his clothes. He was lost and confused, wondering where that power came from and how he had become the enemy. He wanted to explain himself and fix things, but it was too late; everyone was gone.

When Jerry saw his mother, he cried in her arms like a little boy. He was scared for himself and everyone around him. He tried telling his mother what happened, but she could not understand any of it. She thought Jerry had a nightmare or saw a scary movie. She comforted him, assured him it was all over, and told him not to worry about it.

Ryan and Jerry did not talk again for years. Seth told no one about what happened because he did not want people to know that he lost a fight against a middle school kid. From that point on, Jerry decided to hide his powers. He did not want to hurt Ryan or anyone again. He also did not believe he could control his powers; he did not believe in himself.

CHAPTER 3

Lost and Found

Who is that kid? a boy asked.

Is he sleeping? a girl asked.

Maybe he’s daydreaming.

Shush … he’s looking this way. Wait. Why are his eyes closed?

That’s weird, another girl said.

How come he’s not working? another boy asked.

Is he already done with the vocab packet? I’m only halfway through!

He’s the teacher’s pet, a total nerd with straight As, the group leader explained.

Makes sense; I dare you to go talk to him, one boy challenged him.

No way!

Guys, he’s coming over here, one girl said.

What? Do you think he heard us? everyone whispered.

It was a typical eleventh grade English class in the year 2016. Some kids worked hard; others played around or waited for their friends to finish and copy answers. Jerry always finished first and waited quietly for everyone else to catch up with him. He really liked helping people, but other students rarely asked him for assistance, so he relaxed and listened to sounds in the room. Each whisper, pen-tapping, desk-kicking, and other