Distorted Fates

by R. L. Weeks

  The other boy that was with the one who spoke moved around him and then circled Aladdin and Abu. After a few seconds he began to inch himself closer, and then without warning, Aladdin turned and kicked the boy with the knife in the nuts while Abu chomped down on the other boy’s leg.

  The kid with the knife fell to his knees while the other screamed in pain. He went to go and kick Abu, but Aladdin punched him in the side of the head and caught him off balance, making him fall over to the ground where Abu then snapped his jaws at his face a few times to try and scare him. The two boys got up and took off running, Aladdin and Abu both celebrating victoriously by jumping up and down in a nearby puddle while continuing to feast on the bread they found.

  Suddenly there was a loud bang off in the distance, quickly followed by a few more and then the sound of a car crash and then more bangs.

  Aladdin knew they were gunshots, and although curious to see what was going on, the sounds were growing closer.

  “Let’s hide Abu, quick!”

  Abu barked as Aladdin ran, frantically looking for a place that was big enough to hide the both of them, the gunshots still growing closer and in more repetition.

  After searching for what felt like forever, Aladdin discovered a small alley with dumpsters filled with garbage and discarded rotten food. He quickly darted in, crouching behind the biggest one there was and getting as close to the wall as he could with his arms wrapped around Abu.

  The firefight raged on, drawing closer by the minute until shouting and shoes clanking on metal could be heard. Aladdin huddled even closer to Abu, listening carefully as what sounded like a single pair of heels running on the ground came to a stop nearby. Aladdin listened, slowly letting go of Abu and cautiously approached the side of the dumpster in an attempt to peek out. As he peered around, he could see a woman standing several yards away trying to catch her breath.

  She was the most beautiful woman he had ever seen.

  Long black hair in a ponytail that still hung down to her lower back, revealing a massive and highly-detailed tiger tattoo on her upper back. She wore a long red dress with tall black stilettos, and in her one hand, she had a big gun that had a faint trail of smoke coming from the barrel.

  Aladdin looked on, entranced until he realized that she had noticed he was looking at her. She stared at him for a second before shouting and more footsteps could be heard entering the market area.

  “We know you’re out there Jasmine. You can’t hide for long. We will find you!” a male voice announced off in the distance.

  Jasmine reloaded her gun before ducking down behind one of the other dumpsters nearby. A few seconds later she jumped up and began to shoot at whoever must have been chasing her.

  Aladdin ducked back behind the dumpster and covered Abu to protect him, sticking his hands over his ears as the gunshots echoes bounced off the walls of the alley and made it sound like they were coming from every direction.

  Once the shots seemed to come to an end, at least for the time being, Aladdin lowered his hands and crawled back to the side of the dumpster to try and see where the woman was. She was still sitting behind the dumpster she was behind before and was now reloading her weapon again while glancing up to Aladdin.

  “You shouldn’t be here,” she warned, leaning out from her cover to get a look.

  Footsteps began to draw near while Aladdin continued to keep his eyes focused on Jasmine. She motioned for him to hide as she suddenly jumped out and grabbed a man in a suit similar to the one the bouncers were wearing down the street at the Golden Scarab.

  Jasmine quickly bent his arm in a way that caused him to yell in pain and then she flipped him over onto the ground before kicking him in the head and knocking him out.

  Just then two more men came running at her. She did a flip over one as he tried to tackle her. When she landed, the other grabbed her from behind and wrapped his arms around her waist. The one she jumped over then turned and went to punch her in the face, but she kicked him and did a backflip out of the man’s arms that was holding her and then grabbed his head and slammed it back into the pavement. She then did a spin kick and hit the other attacker in the face, launching his glasses into the air before they landed just next to Aladdin and Abu. Aladdin then quickly looked back to Jasmine as the man she kicked was still standing. He wiped some blood from his mouth before he pulled a knife out and slashed it through the air at Jasmine. She dodged three times before turning, jumping and kicking off the wall and then came down with her fist and hit the man right in the nose. He fell to his knees and dropped the knife. Jasmine quickly picked it up, wrapped her legs around the man’s head as they both went to the ground, and then she stabbed him multiple times in the chest until he stopped moving.

  Suddenly more shouting and running steps began to approach.

  Astonished by what he just saw, Aladdin kept his eyes on Jasmine to see what she would do next. She pulled her gun out and began to fire, taking cover behind the dumpster next to her as whoever was coming started to shoot back. Without hesitation Jasmine jumped out from behind the dumpster again, this time grabbing a man’s arm and spinning him as he began to get hit with bullets from those he was fighting alongside. She walked back towards where Aladdin and Abu were, continuing to drag the man who was being shot and using him as a shield until she was safely behind cover. Dropping the man, she quickly ducked and was now next to Aladdin whose heart was racing from everything that was going on around them.

  Jasmine then reached into her dress and pulled out a brown bag that had something about the size of Aladdin’s fist inside of it. He couldn’t see what it was, but Jasmine grabbed his hand and suddenly stuck the bag in it, tilting his chin up with her other hand so she could look him in the eyes.

  “Protect this with your life child. I don’t know you, but I can sense great good in your heart. Do you know of the Sultan’s Tower?”

  Aladdin, at a loss of words, nodded yes.

  “Take this there. Tell those on guard at the rear gate to inform my father that the cave of wonders has been opened and that this can show him the world.”

  Aladdin had no idea what Jasmine was talking about, but he was ready and willing to do anything that she asked him to do.

  “Where did she go?” someone said as the approaching steps came to a stop.

  “She couldn’t have gone far. Spread out.”

  “You have to run, and don’t look back,” she whispered to Aladdin, pointing towards a small hole in the side of the wall that led into a nearby parking garage. “Waste no time and stop for nothing.”

  Suddenly Jasmine jumped out from the dumpster and began to fire her gun, disappearing out of Aladdin’s view.

  He wasted no time in making his way over towards the hole, quickly crawling through and then turning around to grab Abu and help him down. Once they were both inside the parking garage, Aladdin took off running towards the exit that led to the street on the opposite side of the marketplace.

  The way to the city center was going to be a trek. It was a few miles away with an increase in both car traffic and foot traffic. Aladdin was going to have to be careful not to be seen by the Sultan’s Police Force either. Vagabond’s rarely ventured into Center City, and so he didn’t want to be mistaken for a pickpocket or a thief, even though he at times had to do those things for survival, it wasn’t why he was going there.

  The gunshots eventually fell quiet as Aladdin put as much distance as he could between him and the marketplace and as quickly as possible. Abu was following closely, sticking right beside him every step of the way.

  As the night continued and he took a few breaks to catch his breath, those who passed by stared at him with a look of disgust on their face. Aladdin didn’t care though. He was used to people making fun of him and casting judgment for his dirtiness and torn ratty clothes. Abu never judged him though, and to him, that’s all that mattered.

  Eventually, the Sultan’s Tower came into view. If far from the city it was easy to spot, toweri
ng over all of the other buildings without any competition but you couldn’t really grasp how big it was unless you actually got close to it. It was well lit, bright white lights scattered all up and down it but this was the closest that Aladdin had ever been before. He even stopped for just a brief moment and stared up, trying to take in its sheer size before picking up the pace and pushing himself to get there.

  The closer he got, the more questionable looks he got from people until the only people remaining were the Sultan’s Police Force who appeared to be on high alert. There was a checkpoint up ahead blocking the actual street that led right to the tower. Aladdin was worried he wasn’t going to be able to get to it, but then he remembered Jasmine said to go to the guard at the rear gate. Aladdin stared at the checkpoint and guards before noticing an alleyway off to the side. He sprinted towards it, entering it only to realize that it was a dead end and it was full of garbage.

  Suddenly something moved in the shadows and Abu began to growl, stepping in front of Aladdin. The shadow continued to approach until whatever it was stepped into the light and revealed itself.

  It was an old lady with long hair and bandages on her face. She stepped forward again, coming more into the light then she already was and then tilted her head up, peeking through a bandage over her one eye.

  “My my, what do we have here?” she inquired as she began to study both Aladdin and Abu before turning her attention to Aladdin’s hand. “What is that?” she asked, pointing to it as he then hid it behind his back.

  “No-nothing,” he returned, taking a step back from the lady.

  “You should let me have it. It looks important. I think I would like it now,” the old woman said, taking a step forward and grabbing for Aladdin.

  Suddenly Abu jumped up and bit the lady in the arm. She screamed, shaking her arm and launching Abu who landed safely in a pile of garbage. The old hag turned her attention to Aladdin again and started to walk after him before he turned and exited the alley, making a left and running down the street with Abu as the old lady gave pursuit. Aladdin glanced over his shoulders several times to see if she was still following, but all he could do was hear her laughing while she was nowhere in sight.

  Aladdin ran to the end of the block, making another left and suddenly finding himself on what looked like a vacant rocky road aligned with lights. There were cement barriers every few feet blocking the street off from cars, but behind them and about a hundred yards away was the Sultan’s Tower and what looked like a large garage door with guards outside.

  “Do you think that’s it, Abu?” Aladdin asked.

  Abu barked and wagged his tail in response as they both began to walk towards the door. As they approached, several of the Sultan’s guards raised their weapons and ordered him to stop moving. Once they got closer to him and saw that Aladdin didn’t pose a threat, they asked him what he was doing and why he was there.

  Then Aladdin repeated exactly what Jasmine told him to say.

  “I have something for the Sultan. The cave of wonders has been opened, and this can show him the world,” he said, raising the bag in his hand that Jasmine gave him.

  Both of the guard’s eyes grew large, turning to look at each other before back to the tower and then to Aladdin and Abu.

  “Come with us,” one of them ordered, looking up the street behind Aladdin with a look of concern on his face.

  The two guards began to walk backward, making sure that they had their weapons pointed down the street and keeping Aladdin and Abu in between them and the tower. As they approached, the other guards inquired what was going on and who Aladdin and Abu were, but the guard told them to hurry and open the gate to let them inside.

  At first reluctant, the other guard opened it, allowing them all through while others stayed in place and remained on duty.

  “Where are we going?” Aladdin asked as they ascended some steps and entered inside the tower.

  “I’m taking you to see the Sultan.”

  Aladdin’s eyes suddenly grew large as the shock of what the guard said set in.

  Chapter 3

  Aladdin stayed close to the two guards who led him and Abu further into the tower, passing through a large lobby full of people who stared and then to an elevator that took them up. After a few minutes, the door opened with a ding and revealed a big hallway with a door on the wall at the end. They exited the elevator and headed straight to the door, which once the door was open it revealed what looked like a large luxurious modern apartment with a wall full of windows that gave a great view of the city on the other side.

  The guards entered first, walking around for a few seconds until a man in a suit came out of the kitchen and began to talk to them. They whispered to each other while Aladdin and Abu walked over to the window and stared out across the city.

  The bright neon’s of the city were illuminating the sky while streams of cars crossing the skyways off in the distance looked like little flying lightning bugs. Occasionally a car would rise out of the city and take off to join them, or one would break away and come in and land. When Aladdin looked down, he could see the market. It was off in the distance, but he was sure that he spotted it because nearby was a giant golden scarab hologram dancing on top of the club it belonged to.

  Aladdin couldn’t help but think of Jasmine, and he was concerned. He knew she could fight well, but he was wondering if she was able to get away or if she had gotten captured, or worse.

  Suddenly a room’s door opened up and a man with a white well-trimmed beard entered. He was accompanied by two other men in suits who stayed a few feet behind him at all times. The man with the beard and an all cream suit looked at the guards before glancing over to Aladdin and then Abu.

  “Where is she? Where is my daughter?” he asked the guards who had no response.

  He then walked around the sofa and came to Aladdin’s side, kneeling and glancing at the bag that was in his hand.

  “What is your name?” he inquired.

  “Aladdin, sir.”

  “And him?” the man asked, tilting his head in Abu’s direction.

  “Abu.”

  “Well Aladdin and Abu, it is a pleasure to meet you both. I am the Sultan of New Agrabah, and I have a good sense of why you two are here.”

  Aladdin had only seen the Sultan in images but never in person before. He was usually always in the tower and protected unless it was for a public appearance which even then, it seemed like the entire Sultan’s Police Force would be present to watch over him.

  “You have met my daughter Jasmine, yes?”

  Aladdin nodded, still in shock that he was in the presence of the Sultan.

  “Did she give you something to give to me?”

  Aladdin nodded once more, this time raising his hand with the bag in it and giving it to the Sultan, who slowly began to open it and revealed what was inside.

  It was a massive diamond.

  The Sultan kept the diamond resting on top of the bag, slowly standing up and being careful not to drop it or touch it with his bare hands.

  “Follow me,” he said to Aladdin, then leading the way towards the room he appeared from earlier.

  The Sultan entered first with Aladdin, Abu and two men in suits right behind him. All of the walls of the room were wood, and there were no windows. At the center was a smooth black column raising into the ceiling and at its center a glass case. The Sultan walked over to it, opening it, and then carefully slid the diamond out of his hand and on to the top of a small glass shelf inside. He then closed it and stepped back, putting his hands on his hips and letting out a sigh before he patted Aladdin on the head.

  “You did well getting this back to me. In the wrong hands, this could have been a bad situation for everyone in the city.”

  Aladdin, still unsure of what it even was beside a giant diamond was curious.

  “What actually is it?” he asked.

  “It is the Divinity diamond. It is said to have fallen from the skies many years ago in man’s earl
iest times. It was found in the desert by a lost traveler who was dying from starvation and dehydration. When he picked it up, it is rumored that for a brief moment, he disappeared from our world and entered the realm of light. While there, he met a powerful spirit that informed him that as long as the diamond was in his possession, he had one of three choices to make, but that you could only choose one, and only once. As long as the diamond was yours, so was your choice.”

  “What were the choices?”

  “One was infinite longevity to one’s life. The second was whatever you desired, the way to achieve it would be revealed to you. The third, as the story goes, was to release the spirit into the world. In doing so, the spirit could calm the hearts of all good men, those who were not good-hearted would cease to exist, and the world would be at peace.”

  Aladdin was stunned that such a small thing could be so powerful, but he also doubted that any of what the Sultan was telling him was true. It was just a diamond after all, but judging by how careful the Sultan was with it, and how important it appeared to be to Jasmine, perhaps there was something mystical about it.

  “The diamond has been mine for many, many years. It was recently stolen from me by a guest who I was fooled into giving them my audience. Jasmine, much to my disapproval and against my wishes, left to retrieve it. While I’m grateful that she was able to do so, and her trust in you was well placed, and I have the diamond back, I must find her. My daughter is the only family I have, and she is incredibly important to me.”

  Suddenly there was the sound of a loud explosion outside that caused the building to shake. One of the men in suits grabbed the Sultan’s arm and stood in front of him as yelling came from the room just outside. The door opened, and one of the guards who had led Aladdin and Abu up to the Sultan entered with a look of dread on his face.

  “It’s Jafar. He and the gangs have amassed and are attacking the tower.”

  The Sultan let out an angry shout, storming out of the room and walking over to the window. He looked down, Aladdin joining his side and watching as explosions and gunfire illuminated the area down below. The Sultan began to bark orders at the guards, telling them to lock the tower down and to make sure nobody could get inside.