Reborn In The Sultan's Harem

I sat by the edge of the pool, my feet immersed in the light blue water. I splattered and splashed as my feet moved back and forth in the water.

I swayed my head from side to side temporarily before lifting the bottle of Southern Comfort which I had in my left hand, and placed it onto my lips. I kept gulping and gulping till I felt it was enough before I let it go.

I shut my eyes and made a funny face as the liquor gave a tingling sensation down my throat.

I turned to my side, noticing matchstick-like figures moving leisurely under the bright round ball of light in the sky. I giggled to myself and turned the other way, noticing the round disco lights move in disorganized patterns. This too was very funny to me.

Just as I enjoyed the swell time alone, I suddenly remembered—this could be the last time, the last night I might ever taste freedom in my life.

The scary part? For a crime I never committed.

Tears began rolling down from my eyes to my plump cheeks. I placed the bottle on my lips again and began gulping down the liquor as fast and as much as I could. I continued to let my feet play in the water, and in no time, every pain and hurt turned to profound joy.

Suddenly, the DJ began to spin, and the first song began to play. I couldn’t resist the melody—it took control, and there was no way I was going to sit back and just listen.

I took both feet out, and after much effort, I was able to stand. With my bottle in my palm, I raised my hands in the air and began to sway them, my hips swaying rhythmically as well.

The matchstick-like figures still moved, only that this time, they moved faster and in funnier ways. I laughed at the sight. The beautiful lights made them more likeable.

But just as I brought down my hands and tried to sip from my bottle, I heard a scream.

“Hey! Don’t!”

Those were the exact words I heard.

I tried to turn, to know who was shouting and why. Immediately, it was as though I lost control over my limbs. My foot slipped, and before I could even understand what was happening to me, I heard a heavy thud.

A sharp pain hit the back of my head, and in an instant, I found myself in the water.

My eyes seemed to open by now, but it was too late. I noticed that dark substances were beginning to spread inside the water, clouding it, while the people at the surface ran in disorganized patterns.

“Someone call 911!” was the last thing I managed to hear.

As my body sank deeper into the pool, I saw something swim towards me. At first, I thought it was some fish, but as it drew nearer, I realized it was a young lady.

I couldn’t make out what she looked like, but I knew she wore a white sari. She swam quite fast, and when she got to me, she took my hand.

“Come, sister. Let me help you.”

Her words echoed in the water… and after that, I didn’t remember anything.

My eyes slowly began to give way, letting some bright light slip in. Though my eyelids felt heavy, I knew I was awake… and alive.

Slowly, I tried to open my eyes fully, and the scenery I took in was weird and confusing. It wasn’t as white as a hospital room, and it didn’t seem like any house I had been to.

I tried to sit up. My body felt heavy at first, but on a second try, I managed it.

I remembered that I had hurt my head, but I didn’t feel a single pain.

At this point, I began to look around—and immediately, I was shaken to the core.

I noticed I was laid on a floor, with some sort of blanket underneath me. The room was small and partially empty, but something about it felt… off. It didn’t look like any modern building I had ever seen.

In my confusion, an old wooden door flung open.

A middle-aged woman ran in the moment she laid eyes on me. I could tell she was excited, her Aladdin-styled trousers bouncing as she hurried toward me.

“Oh, Alhamdulillah! You are finally awake!” she screamed as she pulled me into her embrace.

Her large, plump arms wrapped around my neck, and I could feel her chest pressed against my face.

I quickly pushed her off and moved backward.

“What the hell is going on here? How did I get here?”

“And who are you?” I added.

At that moment, a man walked in.

He was dressed just as strangely—wearing a short monkey jacket and a small red cap perched on his head.

“She’s finally awake?” he asked, scratching his mustache.

“Yes, my lord. But she seems not to remember anything,” the woman replied, bowing deeply.

The man seemed irritated. He clenched his fist and muttered something in a language I didn’t understand.

Then he pointed at her.

“I do not care what you do or how you do it, Yasmin—but I want this girl ready by sundown!”

“Yes, my lord. It’s quite doable,” she replied.

The man walked out immediately, leaving me alone with her again.

She turned to me quickly and dropped to her knees, rubbing her palms together.

“Fatiha, please—I beg of you. Don’t do anything silly this time, or my head will go for it,” she pleaded.

I blinked in confusion.

“Uh… sorry, ma’am. My name is not Fatiha. I don’t know who that is. I’m Jade. Miss Jade Shelton. And I would love to make a phone call immediately.”

She stared at me blankly, like I had lost my mind.

“I’m quite sure you might not remember your experience after trying to end your life,” she said slowly, “but you must accept your fate now. And you won’t put me in trouble again. Never.”

I scoffed.

“Ma’am, I’m respectfully telling you off right now. If you don’t let me out of here, I’ll make you pay for it!”

She burst into loud, unpleasant laughter.

“Fatiha, you ungrateful child. You forget too soon. Have you forgotten how the master picked you up after the siege of Sicily when you were just a toddler?”

Her voice trembled with frustration.

“Now he asks you to repay him, and you decide to jump off the balcony, putting my neck at risk?”

I didn’t even know what to say anymore.

Before I could respond, she cut me off.

“You are going to the harem tonight. And that is final.”

She stood up to leave.

The moment I heard that word, my heart dropped.

I jumped to my feet and grabbed her wrist.

“Excuse me, ma’am…”

My voice came out sharper this time.

“Did you just say harem?”

“Yes, harem. You’ll be going there as a servant to the newest concubine of the Sultan—don’t get too excited yet,” she answered, flinging her wrist out of my grip.

I was completely petrified by those words. I couldn’t ask any questions or say anything.

“From what I can see, you do not have a bruise. Even the doctor confirmed you are in perfect health. All you needed was to wake up. So now, all we have to do is get you to look presentable,” the woman continued.

She didn’t even glance at my shocked face before dashing out of the room.

“Is this some kind of prank?” I thought to myself.

Just as I tried to think of possible answers, the woman came back in—this time with three other girls. All of them wore solemn expressions, each holding something.

“These three will help get you ready,” the woman said simply, and left almost immediately.

I took a proper look at the girls. One of them held a mirror.

She raised it toward me.

But the figu