Chapter 2
To Begin Anew

"Miriam, wake up. We're here."

I slowly opened my eyes, seeing Alibaba hover beside me as he gently shook my shoulder. I looked around, still finding myself inside the cart. I looked down at my body and noticed a large blanket draped over me, covering my body and providing me warmth.

I nodded and slowly tried to sit up, wincing as stabs of pain jolted through my body. A small whine escaped me as I tried to move my legs, the bruises and wounds making it difficult to even move. Adding the heavy chains weighing me down, I was worried I might collapse again while walking. Even if I had rested enough during the trop back, I wasn't confident in my body's state to keep independent in moving easily.

"Take it easy— yeah, we really have to get rid of those chains." Alibaba said, eyeing the metal cuffs in distaste.

"Do you think… do you think you can remove it now?" I asked, tracing the chains with my fingertips which contrasted the brute tightness and merciless claim it had on my ankles.

Alibaba shook his head. "I can't break them now, but I can arrange for somebody to break it for you. It would take a few days to gain his favor, though." He trailed off, looking to the side before turning back to me. "Do you think you can hang on for a bit more?"

I nodded. "I can."

Alibaba smiled in relief and stretched his hand out in front of me. "Come on, let's get back to my place. I'm sure we can get some more rest there."

I didn't even bother to hide the smile as a swell of happiness burst through my chest. Without hesitation, I took his hand and gripped it. They were calloused and rough, but warm and soothing.

He gently pulled me up and I managed to stand without much difficulty. I took the extra blanket as I stood up and wrapped it around my waist, creating a make shift long skirt to cover my legs. Thankfully it was long enough that it cascaded down my ankles, effectively covering my chains from plain sight.

"It covered the chains on my legs, but…" I trailed off, looking at my wrists which were also confined in the metallic cuffs.

Alibaba nodded in understanding as he noted my concern. "My house isn't far from here, so we can probably brisk walk there and we wouldn't attract much attention. It's also sundown now, so everybody might be too busy to notice you in town."

I looked at him unsurely, caressing the cuffs around my wrists.

"What would happen to me if I got caught?" I asked, my voice wavering slightly. "I-I don't… I don't…"

Sensing my distress, Alibaba quickly placed his hands on my shoulders. I noticed that we were around the same height, but quickly dismissed this as he gave me a firm squeeze.

"I won't let anything happen to you." He said determinedly. "Just stick behind me and I'll do my best to cover for you."

I stared at him with unease, but I decided to push the feelings of doubt and uncertainty away. With a shaky nod, I managed to steel my resolve as well to which he smiled in response. He slipped his hands away from my shoulders which caused me to silently yearn for their warmth once more.

He turned around and took the bag and slung it over his shoulder. He walked towards the edge of the caravan and hopped off, causing it to jerk slightly and catching me off by surprise.

Alibaba looked around, scanning his surroundings and probably checking for anybody who might notice my presence. He turned back to me and beckoned me with his hand, signaling me to come forward.

"Coast is clear, Miriam. You can come out now." He said, a smile playing on his lips as he reached out his open hand for me to take.

I slowly neared the edge of the cart. Before hopping off, I reached out my hand to his. As my hand was about to make contact with his own, a sudden barrage of images flashed before my mind. A silhouette reaching his hand out then suddenly aiming for my throat, a woman who mercilessly tightened the metal collar around my neck, a pair of hands pushing head upwards forcing me to take in his—

I hesitated slightly, feeling myself shiver again. I looked at Alibaba's face and inwardly reprimanded myself. His expression contorted into one of sadness and pity, but he also seemed hurt.

Taking a deep breath to steel my resolve, I stretched my hand again and took his in my own. My heart beat started to slow as I calmed down and my fingers clasped his firmly. As I held his hand, I knelt down slightly and took a small leap forward, leaving the cart and finally touching the ground.

I gazed around me and gaped in awe. The sunset created a stunning and beautiful scenery— the skies were tinted with shades of red, orange, and yellow while birds soared above. The desert's vastness created an overwhelming horizon and the illusion of the sun setting within the earth itself, putting me in a state of momentary awe as I basked in the wonders of the scene in front of me.

Pulling my own attention from the stunning scenery before me, I then glanced at the area surrounding me. We were inside the town, however located at the inner boarder. Around me were carts similar to Alibaba's and they were all lined in a specific formation— a specific grid of ten columns and ten rows of carts were lined in one area before another set of carts were arranged in a similar order as well. Alibaba parked his cart on the outer right of the formation, allowing easy access inside the city as it led to an open alleyway to the right.

"Follow me," Alibaba said as he started walking, still holding my hand.

I gave no response, but he started walking with my hand in tow. I followed behind him, trying to keep up with his pace whilst making movements that would hopefully minimalize the sounds of the chains clinking against each other. We maneuvered inside the alleyway, turning from left to right. The houses started to look more crowded together, with buildings that used to have some space in between them starting to close in the further we walked. Despite walking briskly, Alibaba still allowed me some leeway and a few seconds to breathe every now and then. He also used this time to glance the path forward, gauging for anybody who could possibly catch us. This allowed me to take a short breather before resuming the walk to his house.

After what seemed to be an hour of walking left and right and taking a few turns, we reached a small door located in a narrow and small alleyway. Though it was kept away from the prying eyes of the public road, I realized that it was still somewhat nearby the main roads and the local pubs. If anybody were to just walk a little further from the main road of the town, they would eventually find Alibaba's place.

Alibaba inserted a key inside the small lock, turned it, and pushed the door forward. It creaked slightly as he entered and I followed behind. He closed the door behind me and once it clicked shut, we both glanced at each other. At the same time, we released a sigh of relief.

"Geez, I was kind of scared there." Alibaba admitted, looking nervous himself.

I nodded in agreement as I placed my hand on my chest, feeling the beat of my heart slow down. I closed my eyes, allowing myself a moment to just bask in the situation, then opened them once again to look around me.

Alibaba's place was small, but it looked very much like a home. There was a large rug that covered most of the floor, a rolled-up mat standing in the corner of the room (probably his sleeping mat), and a few baskets and jugs filled with fruits and water. In the right of the room there was a small makeshift fireplace. It was a simple square constructed from bricks and cement. On top of the square, a metallic grill was attached where I assumed Alibaba cooks his food as there were pots and a few ladles sitting nearby. On the left side of his room were a bunch of rope that were strewed across the room and where clothes and some other blankets hung casually.

"Sorry that it's not much," Alibaba said bashfully as he placed his bag along with the jugs and the baskets. He glanced over at his own place, his eyes tracing back to me. I saw how he looked nervous and ashamed, his body curling slightly as if he was bracing himself.

I shook my head and tried a small smile myself.

"No, i-it's fine. I find it… cozy." I said, walking forward.

As my feet brushed against the rug, I paused and allowed the soles of my feet drag along the soft fabric. I felt a bit better with the little comfort that gave me, simply basking in the smallest of joys. Having a place to stay, food to eat, and somebody who was willing to help me was more than enough and I wouldn't dare demand more than what I could get.

"O-oh, great!" Alibaba said, surprised at first but beaming as he ended his sentence. He looked overjoyed, and I mused that he must be a really kind and honest person to allow his eyes to reflect his emotions so easily like that.

He then reached over to a rectangular chest located behind the baskets and lifted its hatch. He rummaged through it for a few seconds, causing my curiosity to grow. I walked towards him, this time having no qualms against the chains brushing and creating unnecessary noise as I moved.

He noticed me moving towards him and said, "Here!" as he pulled out a piece of clothing in front of me.

I tilted my head to the side as I inspected it. It was very long and I imagined that if I wear the dress, it would probably touch around my ankles. It was a simple cream color and had no designs or anything weaved into it.

"You can use this for a while if you'd like." He said as he folded the dress neatly and settled it in front of me. I knelt down and picked it up, inspecting it closely. The fabric was thin and loose— I expect that it was made out of cotton or linen. It was very light-weight, however it was still thick enough to not act as a see-through type of clothing.

"Why do you have this?" I asked him as he pulled out a long sash which was similar in color and a few rolls of what looked to me like bandages.

"Ah… well, that's actually one of the clothing merchant's extra clothes for the slaves here in Qishan." Alibaba said carefully, his tone trying to stay even though his sheepishness was setting in. "The lord of this town ordered a bunch of clothing for them, but a few of his slaves died off before the shipment came so he ended up with more clothes than accounted for. In the end, my boss received them and tossed them to me."

I glanced at the clothing, slightly unnerved that they were originally for slaves but decided to push those thoughts away. Beggars shouldn't be choosers, and to have something new to wear aside from the rag I was covered in was way better.

I then started to unwrap the blanket around my waist, letting it loosen before I started to fold it properly. My legs were once again exposed, the bruises and wounds making a flashing appearance. The chains were still present, it's existence honestly starting to frustrate me to no end.

I then stared up and at Alibaba, watching as he continued to rummage inside the chest and bringing out several items. Now with my mind slowly adapting to the shock of everything, I started to ponder upon myself the questions that should be asked.

What was I doing here? I felt as if I didn't belong, but at the same time the reality of me being in that position proved me wrong. But it didn't feel right, to live in this world. I felt alienated even from my own body, which for some reason I felt adamant wasn't rightfully mine.

Why did Alibaba feel familiar? It's like I knew him from an instance before, however I was also sure that it was my first time personally meeting him at all. It was like a constant scene of déjà vu— like I knew this has happened before, but just wasn't sure whether I just witnessed the scene unravel or I was actually a part of it.

Who was I? Having no recollection of who I was before waking up in the desert, and yet retaining instinctive thoughts and reactions towards situations and words. The thoughts of self-loathing and depreciation felt automatic, almost like I had grown up my whole life thinking so lowly of myself. As far as I could be sure, I didn't think I thought of myself like that…

I blinked a few times, clearing myself from my own train of thoughts. I was already frustrated enough with being in this predicament, and now I was only confusing myself by wondering on questions that nobody could possibly have the answer to.

Alibaba noticed me staring into space and frowned. "Hey, you okay Miriam?"

My new name caught my attention once again, almost as if snapping me back into place.

Maybe it didn't matter who I was before waking up. Perhaps it was a case of amnesia or even a stroke of luck. I could take this as a way of beginning a new chapter of my life, a clean and blank slate. It didn't matter who I used to be; what only mattered was the present.

However, I still felt doubtful. Something inside me screamed that I was only running away from my past, despite not remembering a single thing about it. It almost felt cowardly to accept my new life as it was, simply deciding to be who somebody else and pretend nothing else happened. It didn't feel right to just settle for what I had, and it felt like I should be doing something about my identity crisis instead of just accepting somebody else's dictation of who I was.

Instead of showing the whirlwind of emotions and piles of questions adding on outwardly, I simply smiled and shook my head.

"No, nothing at all."

[A/N:] Greetings readers! Just a quick update as I settle into a week-long break from my studies. I initially wanted to elongate this chapter, however after several revisions, I've decided to keep it as it is.

Just a heads up that this starts a year before the timeline officially kicks off, so I will be prolonging some events before the duo meet Aladdin and the whole bang starts. I want to develop Miriam slightly and drop maybe a few hints before the plot starts and hopefully encourage you to infer and create your own theories as well.

'Til the next update!

~ Irene (10-26-18)