How many times has this happened to you:
You're sitting in class, or at work, or lying in bed, or standing in the shower, and the only thing standing between you and absolute boredom is a randomly inspired story you're entertaining yourself with as you imagine it up. It's not your typical story, and probably not something you'd really devote much time to plotting and writing out. However, if someone else wrote it, you'd read it, you'd definitely read it. WHY ISN'T IT BOOK ALREADY?!
Yeah. Happens to us all (and I don't mean the "if a madman broke into the classroom rn, how would I save everyone" scenarios everyone daydreams in 3rd period chemistry class).
So, today's post is, as the title says, "The Story I'd Never Write."
But it's not about stories you would be opposed to. This isn't about the type of stories you'd hate or never support. On the contrary, it's about stories with a set up/plotline that would be an interesting read for you, but you wouldn't write yourself. It could be for any number of reasons, ex: I don't have the time, I have a billion other projects in the works, I don't have the talent/it doesn't fit my style of writing, I'm not a writer, etc etc.
What brought this all on? Because I myself have had a few ideas for stories that aren't in my genre of writing, and I'd probably give them a read if they existed already. Like if I had a machine that could just read your mind for an idea and then write out a whole original book based on it for you to read without knowing it all and doing the work of writing it, I'd have a freakn library to dwell in.
But I don't.
So instead, I'm here writing to my noticeably shrinking audience about the books I'd never write, hoping that among you there's someone who will take inspiration from these ideas and maybe write one up. So here goes:
WHEN IT RAINS...
When it rains, it pours, and in one (insert adjective) American city, a storm is coming. A major flood forces half the town to evacuate, and the rest are left to shelters and survival centers. As space runs low, one local Mosque opens its doors for emergency housing, bringing in hundreds of needy neighbors and flood survivors.
Hannah Garcia (Generic name) and her family were desperate. The shelters were full, and thanks to her father's aggressive and divisive demeanor, they'd been turned away from all private centers. Despite her father's hatred, and her mother's distrust, Hannah, her parents, and her little brother all find themselves knocking on the doors of Mosque to survive the flood.
Yahya Abdul-Majid was the son of a revert, and the leader of the Muslim Youth Group for the Mosque. He was the chosen muezzin and a dedicated volunteer for all of the community events. As the storm rages on and the flood ravages half the town, Yahya is called upon to serve his community in its most urgent time of need. He thought he'd just be helping with the distribution of supplies and meals, but when one of the new guests starts stirring up trouble on the first day, Yahya finds that he and his team will have their work cut out for them in keeping the peace in Masjid As-Salaam.
Rain is a Mercy from Allah, and even in disaster there is hope. So when it rains, let the floods wash away that which divides, and bring the people together. Let the waves of truth drown out hatred and misconceptions. This is a story of survival and community, support and understanding, the town of (insert name) has their best and their worst brought out in full when it rains...
----
You guys remember I mentioned an idea like this on an article I posted last year during the bajillion floods we were having here? That idea hasn't left me yet, but I'm not really the one to write it. I wrote that blurb right now to set the tone and plot for anyone who wants to modify and write that story. Since this is wattpad, I know asking for a story that doesn't involve at least a romantic subplot is like asking a river to run upstream. So I kind of set that up already.
But notice the lack of certain cliches? The male-lead isn't a billionare ceo badboy with 12 pack abs and an arrogant attitude. The female-lead isn't a submissive, pretend-strong, secretary forced to work under him and do his bidding and marry him while he cheats and controls and abuses her. It has a unique setting. It allows for some nice, subtle da'wah -I know they're in a Masjid but the messages of Islam can be on display through simple interactions, community outreach and kindness, with only minimal direct preaching.
The cast can AND BETTER BE diverse; things are in a Masjid, so while I don't expect that anyone would write the characters -Muslim or Non-Muslim- to be perfect, I would hope that the inevitible love story would be done in a halal way without it being "gasp i love him, time to convert," like... we all know Hannah eventually converts, but like.... a good set up would be that the interest for both characters is Islam first, and then eventually they can develop and pursue feelings for each other.
And I mentioned Hannah having a younger brother because it'd be nice for Yahya to befriend and sorta take the young one under his wing in the center before things kick off with Hannah, and that can be a source of contention for the bigoted father. Also, put a little more effort into the dad's bigotry than just "i'm an angry racist/redneck, I hate these moslems cause 9/11." In fact I made the last name Garcia so we can avoid the cliche of a racist old white guy who hates brown/black people. So give the man some background and don't make him just vicious and malicious overly exaggeratedly evil. I did say there's hope even in disaster... hint hint...
But yeah, SOMEONE GET STARTED ON THAT STORY. I promise I will follow whoever takes on this task (and hopefully does it justice.... no pressure.)
And comment here if that's a story you'd like to read someday!
______________
BONDAGE: THE LION AND THE WOLF
A mighty lion is not fit for shackles and chains, and wolf without her pack is in disdain. Taken from their own peoples, an African man and a Native American woman find their paths united in a world divided. Abdur-Rafi ibn Jalil is brought to a young American country as a slave, but never can the oppresors chain a heart that has been freed by Allah. And Magena Meoquanee, better known as Annabelle Smith, is a woman lost in her ways after her family was forced to abandon their tribe.
By destiny, the two meet, and in Abdur-Rafi's quest for freedom, Annabelle will find freedom like no refugee in the land ever had before. Together, with bravery and determination, wit and cooperation, two hopeful souls from different worlds will unite for the fight of their lives. Let faith and compassion guide their hearts and make them strong; everyone will be after the Lion and the Wolf in this thrilling, historical song...
---
This one is a historical fiction, which tbh I doubt anyone will actually write. I can't because it would require a ton of research and well, I already do a ton of that for my totally fictional stories, imagine me having to do 10x that amount for the sake of historical accuracy. No thank you. But, I did actually write this out as far as I could. This is sort of kind of a telling of the story or summarizing it, but mainly just the details and such instead of taking the time to write scenes and set things up and give it some good narrative. That's for an author, and well, this is one I wouldn't author. But let me share what I've written about it anyways:
Basically, like I said, it's a historical fiction so think sometime in the 1800's, maybe later maybe earlier, I haven't set an exact time but whatever, anyways so there's a young Muslim guy named Abdur-Rafi somewhere in Africa and he's out hunting with his 3 brothers on a rite-of-passage type thing. They end up in enemy territory and are almost all captured by a rival tribe, but Abdur-Rafi and the oldest brother sacrifice themselves to let the youngest two escape.
The oldest brother is killed during the fighting but Abdur-Rafi is taken captive. The chief wants to kill him too and dump the two bodies at the border to spite their father. But his wife sees Abdur-Rafi and she takes pity on him because he looks like her dead older brother when he was young. So she convinces the chief that instead of killing him and gaining nothing, he should sell him and make a profit. That way the other tribe still suffers a loss AND the chief gets money.
So the chief agrees and sells Abdur-Rafi off into slavery. Through a series of unfortunate happenings, he ends up on ship set sail for the new world (ie "America"). On the ship, things are hectic (he puts up a major fight) and the crew is even hit by a major storm which eventually tosses Abdur-Rafi and many other slaves overboard (as it often happened in history, many would-be slaves actually drowned during the journey over).
Three days later, after another dark night, the crew of the half-wrecked ship finds Abdur-Rafi washed up on the shore of an island that they stopped at to patch up and restock on supplies. They retake Abdur-Rafi and since he somehow survived in the ocean for days they joke that he must've been swallowed by a whale/fish like Yunus (peace be upon him) and so they decide to call him Jonah.
The next few weeks pass and though he's miserably ill, he doesn't lose faith in his prayers. He'd made a certain prayer when he was in the ocean almost drowning, something not yet revealed, but him leaving means it's being answered. He's sure of it.
When they arrive in America, he's taken to the property of the man who owns the slaves, Jonathan Rosay (to my CP readers, see what I did there?), to be broken into submission. On the first day, he's tied to a post and left out in minimal clothing, despite the frigid weather being a stark contrast to his warm and sunny homeland. They also starve him for a few days and deprive him of water. On one day, Jonathan Rosay's son, Jonathan Rosay the second, is out to check on things. He taunts him and Abdur-Rafi is unresponsive, so Jonathan gets frustrated and starts whipping him to wake him up.
Thankfully, Jonathan's cousin, Mathias comes and convinces him to stop. He tells him that his dad will be mighty angry if he gets back to find another slave dead after he lost so much money on that confounded voyage with no profit. At the very least, if "Jonah" recovers and is broken, he can be strong slave for his master. And if, for some reason, they're unable to control him, then Mr. Rosay can sell him in the markets and let him be someone else's problem. But "a dead slave ain't worth a speck of dirt to nobody," so Jonathan has to control himself.
They call for a maid woman to come bring water to Abdur-Rafi, and out steps a Native-American teenage girl with the given name Annabelle. From the defeated look on her face, it seems clear that her entire life was in subservience. Her family had been forcibly converted to the religion of the settlers and missionaries long before, and her generation hardly knew a thing of their own traditional ways. They weren't taught and the culture was all but lost, especially for her as she found herself like many others in the sad situation of servitude.
Because of her family's "conversion" and their "abandonment of savagery," (and color), they held a status at least one level above the slaves. They were mostly houseworkers and errand folk, some of the settlers even bothered to marry some of the women unlike what they did to the slaves.
Annabelle hadn't been married off yet, she had only recently come into prime marrying age for the society. Just as well, her mediocre looks didn't exactly make her a prize for the men to be chasing after when they had plenty of pretty women of their own race to be chasing. She didn't mind, as long as she didn't end up as a "cabin woman" for the farm boys like some of the slave girls did, Annabelle was fine with never being married at all.
Still, she was a servant and had to do servant jobs, and for this time, that meant watering the new slaveboy. So she went to carry a tin of water to him and as she holds his chin and starts pouring the water in his mouth, he wakes up and goes in a frenzy. He's still disillusioned and sees himself back home fighting away the enemies to let his brothers escape. He almost frees himself from his restraints and actually manages to knock Annabelle onto the ground before Jonathan and Mathias rush over.
Jonathan sees this as an excuse to knock Abdur-Rafi out with a punch to the face and Mathias helps Annabelle up. She's visibly shaken, but more so by Jonathan's violence than Abdur-Rafi freaking out. Anyways, Jonathan laughs and spits to the side before telling her to go back inside and clean herself up, they're having guests and she needs to be...presentable.
As she leaves Jonathan shakes his head at the unconscious Abdur-Rafi and says, "Sometimes I wonder why God would even make such lowly creatures."
Then Mathias replies (under his breath) "For the same reason he made us.."
Jonathan hears him though and he questions what he means, so Mathias quickly changes his tone and tries to give a pleasing explanation.
"Servitude," he says. "They serve us. We serve the Lord. Don't it make sense?"
Jonathan relucantly accepts that explanation and agrees but glares at his cousin with a bit of distrust anyways. "Don't think just cuz your pa is a pastor that you're holier than me or that you can whisper like I wouldn't understand simple facts."
"That's not what I meant. We're cousins, how could I be better then you? All men are equal before God, right?"
"Hmph."
And then at that point Jonathan's mom calls him inside for something and so Mathias picks up the water jug once he leaves and he pours a little on Abdur-Rafi. Abdur-Rafi wakes up briefly and he gives him more water to drink before Jonathan steps outside the door and calls him, not seeing what he was doing. Mathias hides the water in his shirt and Jonathan comes over asking where it was so Mathias says Annabelle must've taken it. He says he'll go get it from her and Jonathan says whatever so they both leave.
Jonathan goes back inside and Mathias finds Annabelle in the maids' quarters. Her father just revealed to her that he's seen her grandfather on his deathbed in a dream which he believes to be true. The grandfather was the first of their tribe to convert to Christianity, but his wife had refused and after years of conflict she was eventually killed. After her death, the grandfather took revenge on the murderers, changed back to tribal ways, and abandoned the Christian settlement, becoming an outcast and so his family was forbidden by law to ever see him or the old tribe again.
Annabelle's father (who still secretly holds some tribal beliefs) says that if he or his family don't mend ties with his own father before he dies, then it will be a curse on their lives for all generations to come. But he doesn't know how he would even be able to; he holds a position of leadership amongst his tribe (the ones who are Christians) and if he leaves they will be without leadership, the settlers would hang him for breaking the law, and the tribe would be punished.
It's then that Mathias enters and so the father quickly stands to greet him appropriately and then leaves. It's just Mathias and Annabelle now and Annabelle looks to him and asks how the lost man (Abdur-Rafi) is doing. He says that he's alive but her concern should be with herself.
"You should know, they intend to marry you off," he tells her. She doesn't even bother to ask to whom, she just stands there in shock, though she should've known it was coming. Mathias continues. "My uncle is speaking with the wealthy son of an old war mate of his. From what I hear, he's quite the spoiled young man, with a penchant for violence much like his father. The vast wealth of their family has left them wanting for little if anything in life, but it seems that he's offered quite the sum to my uncle for you."
"M-me? But why?" Annabelle finally asks. Like I said, she's not exactly a beauty queen, not in the slightest. She's a little rough around the edges, and not in the "I'm pretty but I don't know it" way. Nah. She's kinda ugly in some ways, and plain at best. Not striking in any way.
Still, Mathias shrugs, even he doesn't have an answer for her. He just simply thought she ought to be told and with that, he leaves. With all of that in mind, Annabelle does the only good thing she learned to do from the settlers, she prays. But not in their way, and not even the way of her people. Her desperation, and confusion about what to believe, leads her to only one direction. So she calls upon her Creator, the true Master of all, whoever is the One in control of her fate, and asks Him to save her. To guide her out of this disastrous situation and help her.
Hours later, back outside, Abdur-Rafi wakes up in the cold of night. He'd just had another dream of his homeland, a memory fresh in his mind of a happy time in the warm sun, back when he himself had to undergo the rites of passage for his tribe. Contrary to the settlers beliefs that his people (and all people of darker complexions) were nothing but mindless savages, he actually came from a deep and complex society with their own unique civilization. It was different, not inferior.
In fact, Abdur-Rafi himself was quite an intelligent and educated young man. He was a skilled fighter, an excellent hunter, capable of speaking a multitude of domestic and foreign languages (including Portuguese, Arabic, and limited English), and was well versed in Islamic teachings. But of course, when he was sold into slavery, the white captors saw only a savage black man who needed to be tamed.
When he wakes up, Abdur-Rafi is shivering as the blistering cold nips at his skin, cutting into the scars left on his body from the whipping. He struggles to remain conscious, but he feels that if he sleeps again, he will die. So he keeps himself awake. His teeth are chattering and he can barely speak, but he keeps himself at ease by reciting three ayaat from Suratul-Buruj repeatedly.
"Innal lazheena fatanul mu'mineena wal mu'minaati thumma lam yatoobu falahum 'azhaabu jahannam, wa lahum 'azhaabul hareeq. Innal lazheena aamanu wa 'amilussawlihaati lahum janaatun tajreemin tahtihal anhaar, zhaalikal fawzul kabeer. Inna battsha rabbika lashadeed. (Indeed, those who have tortured the believing men and believing women and then have not repented will have the punishment of Hell, and they will have the punishment of the Burning Fire. Indeed, those who have believed and done righteous deeds will have gardens beneath which rivers flow. That is the great attainment. Indeed, the vengeance of your Lord is severe.)"
He's only distracted from that when he sees a light in the darkness. A small figure stands in a doorway before the light is blown out. He watches carefully, anticipating further torturing. Then, the person, covered in a blanket, makes a wild dash into the open. Abdur-Rafi doesn't know who it is, but the way she's moving, Abdur-Rafi knows that if she's planning to escape she won't get far. She'll have gotten busted before she even gets off of the land.
He shakes his head and goes back to his reciting until sleep over takes him again. He wakes up the next morning just as the sun is going to rise because he gets splashed with steaming water that was thrown at him but it only gets part of his hair and mostly his feet. He looks up to see another slave holding a bucket as he stands beside Jonathan who's on a horse laughing with a gun in his hand as he drags in a fighting young woman tied up in a rope. It's Annabelle, and he wonders what crime she could've committed to be disgraced like so.
Annabelle kicks and screams and her parents watch helplessly in the distance as she's taken and tied to the back of the post Abdur-Rafi is tied to. Jonathan sneers as he ties her rope around Abdur-Rafi's throat. "You got company, boy," he laughs. "Hope you don't lose your head again. And you, little missy, you pull a stunt like that again and you'll be getting a lot worse than being tied next to this stinking ****** for a day. You're worth a lot of money for my Pa, so you ain't gonna be running off to nowhere. Ain't nobody coming between him and his money, you got that?"
Then he leaves.
So then Annabelle is crying, but her mother and sister come to speak to her. Her father is called to speak with Mr. Rosay and someone else orders the mother and sister to leave Annabelle. Her mother assures that everything will be okay if she keeps patient. She's worth money for them and has been a good maid, plus since she's a Christian, the settlers couldn't legally kill her without cause.
But what they don't know is that she'd have preferred death to the fate that awaited her. She'd met the family of her suitor at dinner the previous night. The mother was nothing short of snobbish and the father boasted endlessly about his battle exploits in wiping out various Native American tribes to claim more land for settlers. He laughed and showed no remorse about the atrocities he'd committed, making jokes about guns vs spears and archery.
And the suitor himself (named... Thomas) was a total creep. He looked even younger than she did (though he was a few years older), and the way he clung to his mother was unnatural. He was a scrawny young fellow, but every bit as sadistic as his father, reveling in the gory tales of war. And from the way he spoke, it was clear that he was not looking for a wife, or even a maid. He was looking for a play thing and the fact that she was Native-American somehow made her seem exotic to him. She was submissive and knew nothing of the tribal ways, so manipulating her with Christianity would be an easy task. He wanted her, and with his father's money, he would have her.
She cries in her place and can't even wipe her eyes. Abdur-Rafi meanwhile is doing his best to make up Fajr prayer from his forcibly tied position. When he's done, he hears the girl crying to herself questioning why God had forsaken her. That's when Abdur-Rafi speaks up and tells her that God tests those whom He loves.
She's of course startled and surprised, but in between sniffling, she asks, "Y-you can understand me?"
He tells her only a little and they remain in silence for a while. Then he apologizes for lashing out at her the previous day, it is not in his customs to attack a woman. She says nothing. Throughout the day, the people are forbidden from coming to see Annabelle, and she is only untied once to relieve herself (and secretly get food and water from Mathias) before getting tied back to the post. This time, the rope is put to her neck instead of Abdur-Rafi's, but once Jonathan leaves, Abdur-Rafi wiggles about and then lowers his body to an uncomfortable position so that the rope becomes a bit looser and she can breathe easier.
She turns her head and sees him trying to pray again, though she doesn't understand what he's doing. She of courses asks him but he can't answer right away. And when he's done, he sees Jonathan coming back. Abdur-Rafi is untied and led elsewhere, but Annabelle is left behind.
Jonathan takes "Jonah" out to the pig pin and is shown the other slaves' sleeping quarters. Very limited space, packed in and no space to stand even. The most they have is hay to sleep on and a single blanket to share. For him though, he has to "earn it." Jonathan tells him to clean out the pig pin and orders one of the slaves to teach him. An old woman is the closest to him so Jonathan snatches her by the arm and tells her to tell him.
I haven't filled in everything but like, the day passes and at some point Abdur-Rafi gets in trouble AGAIN so he's tied to the post over night. Annabelle's no longer there so he's alone again, but as the cold night comes on again, he finds that that same light comes on in the distance as the door opens up. The flame is blown out right after he sees the figure again. This time, he knows it's Annabelle because she heads over in his direction.
As she comes within hearing distance over the roaring winds, Abdur-Rafi warns her that she is going to get herself caught again. She tells him he should be more concerned with himself. He tells her there are men patrolling in the direction she is going and a hunting party is due to return from the other part of town soon. Sure enough, she can see a faint glow of a lantern in the distance and runs back to the building.
The next day, Abdur-Rafi is untied again and put to work. This time, when he acts out of line, he is whipped until he passes out. Jonathan orders his limp body to be dragged and thrown into the pin with the pigs on his face so that he learns his place. The other slaves are warned to keep away from him, but one of them takes pity on him and rolls him onto his side, but when Jonathan's father catches the man he orders him to be tied to a pole and his slave son is whipped before his eyes. Mr Rosay asks him if he pities "Jonah" or his son more, and if he regrets his disobedience.
Abdur-Rafi, wakes up inside the pin and hears the crying young boy and the father pleading desperately for his son to be spared. He (Abdur-Rafi) doesn't know what happened and so he whispers to one of the others who is currently inside working. Fearing that they may be next in line for punishment, they all turn away.
Abdur-Rafi finds that his leg has been tied to a post in the pin, and much to his disgust, one of the pigs is only an arm's length away as it decides to have a poop. Another pig walks over and begins eating it, before the first pig bullies him away. The smaller pig then goes off to a pile of rotting fruit in the corner. Abdur-Rafi feels the pangs of extreme hunger, and in desperation, he decides that he should sneak some of the fruit. Whatever parts hadn't been completely rotten and/or contaminated with pig saliva.
Again idk what exactly happens in between but it comes to be that Annabelle is unwillingly engaged to Thomas and Abdur-Rafi reluctantly comes to start doing work. I guess he learns what the slave man did for him and so to repay him, he helps him with his tasks and so as a result, the slave-masters think they've broken him so they allow him to stay inside for the night. The warmth is much better than the brutal nights, even if the stench is horrendous and the hay is itchy.
Due to his efficient work, Abdur-Rafi is fed scraps with the rest of the slaves, but with his intense hunger, he's just grateful to his Lord who provided for him. He refrains from the meat scraps, not knowing what sort of meat it is, and instead he keeps to the mush and fruit they're given.
The way he sees it, he needs to play along to survive, he needs to eat to build strength because unlike the poor misguided girl, he knew how to escape. From the very moment he was dragged into the place he'd observed his surroundings and during his long nights out he thought of many escape plots. He watched as men came in and off the property, from where and when and how. He had it all in mind and he knew that he could escape. But he needed the strength and he needed to catch them off guard. As long as he resisted them, they would be watching him in deep suspicion, so he had to play along.
Meanwhile, Annabelle's fiance is called away on an expedition and so the wedding is delayed until he returns. That doesn't stop him from haunting her nightmares.
In one particular dream she sees herself caged like an animal in his home next to the bones of a man she sees to be her grandfather. Thomas and Mr. Rosay stand over her in laughter, while her father and mother are whipped like slaves by Jonathan. She cries desperately but no cares.
Then, as all hope seems lost, she falls into the arms of a lurking shadow. She sinks through the ground until she finds herself falling from the sky, crashing through the branches of trees until she is suddenly out in a forest. A wolf howls and she sees a town behind herself in the distance. Up ahead, there's a fire on one side and a lake on the other. The fire begins to grow and Thomas steps out from the town, riding in a chariot steered by Mr. Rosay and dragged by horses with the heads of her parents.
The shadow grows out from under her, and something in her leads her to follow it as it moves into the distance. She runs and runs and then sees the figure of a man running parallel to her on the other side of the trees. They race towards the lake, and as they arrive at its edge, she stops. The shadow disappeared into the water and she's hesitant to follow it there.
When she looks back, Thomas is coming nearer, and the closer he gets, the hotter the fire grows. The heat intensifies and she's burned slightly even from a distance. She can't bear it anymore, and as she dives into the living lake, preferring to drown than be captured or burned, a rope is thrown around her neck. She's almost pulled back out of the water whilst suffocating, until she finds herself saved by a black figure who throws off the rope from her neck and cuts it to pieces. It's the shadow. But under the moonlight, she sees that it's Abdur-Rafi. She sees that he too has the marks of rope burn on his neck, but unlike her he is neither tied nor has he been burned by the fire.
Thomas and his horses both stop at the edge of the lake, and as Annabelle and Abdur-Rafi float within the water, they see the fire sweep through and burn up Thomas and the horses, even Annabelle's parents. The only one who manages to escape is Mr. Rosay, but as he crawls out from the fire, trying to get into the water, Abdur-Rafi stabs him through the eye with a spear and the fire consumes him. The last thing Annabelle hears before the dream ends is a strange "chant" of a language she's never heard before and it grows louder and louder in her ear until...
She springs up in bed. Dreams mean a lot in the customs of Annabelle's people. And though she herself is quite unfamiliar with those customs, she can't shake the ominous feeling of the dream she had. She's afraid to tell her parents because she knows her father still holds part of the old traditions and such a dreadful dream would be quite controversial if spoken aloud. Plus, she hadn't been feeling too close with any of her family after her parents had so easily agreed to let Mr. Rosay marry her off to Thomas for a share of the bride price. She felt betrayed, and the only one who seemed to truly take pity on her was Mathias.
In fact, when she found herself having the same dream for three nights in a row, she confided in Mathias about it. His father was a pastor after all, so she figured perhaps he would know something about dreams and spirituality. Mathias had no interpretation for the dream, but he warned her not to tell his father, or anyone else who might tell Mr. Rosay and the others about it. Her parents couldn't know either. In fact, it was a secret best kept between the two of them; no one else could know that she had dreamt of running away with a slave boy...
And yet... that alone intrigued her further. Throughout her days, she began to wonder about the "lost" boy as she called him. She'd been around slaves all her life, so the situation of men and women taken from their homes and forced into labor was nothing new to her. And yet, something stood out about this one. She didn't know what it was, why even as he worked hard to blend in, he continued to be different somehow.
She could see through his false submission, and she could see that he had no such sullen look as the others. A lively spirit remained in him unlike any other. Previously, when slaves were brought in, they were either broken by prior owners, or quickly beaten into submission and hopelessness by their new "masters." Their rebellion was short lived and the chains they lived under became chains within their souls.
But Abdur-Rafi had no such chains on his soul. His heart had not been crushed into the bitter dust of despair. Even if his actions on the outside reflected a broken man before the eyes of Jonathan and the others, he was still a man of hope, a man of faith. Like Mathias, he showed secret compassion to others that only few had noted, and over time, Annabelle began to watch him for it.
She thought back to the time when she'd been chained next to him. He'd tried to comfort her despite no obligations for such, and he'd apologized for an unintended aggression to her. He'd put her comfort before his own and later, he'd saved her from being caught sneaking out again by warning her about the incoming men. Perhaps, with all of that which had occurred, her dream wasn't so far-fetched.
Somehow over time, Abdur-Rafi gets himself into trouble again to the point that he's tied up outside once more. He's left out on an especially brutal winter night, and so in the dead of night, Annabelle sneaks out after having that dream again. This time though, when she dove into the water, it was freezing cold and she had to help Abdur-Rafi up before he almost drowned. She sprang up from the dream at the end as usual, with the foreign "chant" repeating in her mind.
It's icy cold outside and so she goes to get another blanket when she sees Abdur-Rafi outside tied to that post. Feeling sorry for him, and with the dream fresh in her mind, she carries her blanket and sneaks over to him. He appears to be sleeping but he's only hanging his head as he repeats the same three ayaat to himself for comfort. Annabelle wraps the blanket over him and he looks up. She shushes him so he wouldn't speak and get them busted, then she whispers an apology. She says she can only warm him momentarily because she would need to get back inside soon before she is caught.
This time, he tells her no one is coming yet. It is not their time. She's surprised, but figures he just wants more blanket time so she obliges. He thanks her but she has no response, she sees the scene in her dream flash before her eyes wherein she saves him from drowning and the part where he cuts her rope. There's a pause of silence for a while until he continues reciting the ayaat and that's when it clicks.
She asks him what he's saying and he tells her it is verses from God's Words. She admits she's not all too familiar with the Bible, but he tells her this is from God's Final Revelation. She asks what the verses mean and he repeats them with the translation of each part. She's not exactly sure she understands it still, but he assures her that it is no problem. He would explain more clearly if they had more time. Perhaps another day.
Then, at that point she seems to be fighting with herself. He's confused but he knows something is off. She's struggling with something and he asks. She tells him she is being forced to marry Thomas and he is a man who takes pleasure in the torture and murder of her people. She asks if she would be included in those people meant for punishment if she marries him.
Abdur-Rafi says it's not his place to say. She asks if she would be included in the group of people meant for the gardens of heaven and the great attainment. He says it is not his place to say, only God would decide.
She says that she'd been taught otherwise from the missionaries and settlers. He says the only truth is God's truth, and He guides whom He wills. She then asks about His justice. Abdur-Rafi explains to her that God's justice is perfect, and His mercy is great. He is fair in every way and that the trials He gives them in this life are only meant to turn them to Him and make them better. That their rank with Him can increase and be higher, regardless of what status they have amongst mankind. She asks if black people like him could be in heaven, and though he's shocked, he repeats the ayat from Al-Buruj again about the believers.
She's unsure, but she accepts it. She's about to ask another question when she hears dogs barking in the distance. Then she realizes how long she'd been out standing with Abdur-Rafi. She's fearful of being caught by the men with them, but he tells her that it would take them another five minutes to return enough to see her by him, and another 10 more to come near enough to clearly recognize her. She says she has to go and she takes her blanket from him and as she looks upon his tied up body, the dream scene flashes in her mind again wherein he cuts the rope from her neck.
She drops the blanket and in a moment she can't even understand, she begins untying him. He asks what she's doing and she says a righteous deed. He's stunned but grateful. Then she asks him does he know where else men might be coming from. He says no one else should be out but those ones will be near soon and if she's caught untying him she'll be tied up again or worse.
She says then she mustn't be caught. He thinks it means she's going to run back inside, but once she's done untying him, she tells him, "Lead me from here." He's taken aback, and so she urges him again, "I will not stay. Wherever you will run to, I too will go. If you are meant for those gardens then I too wish to be there."
He knows he couldn't turn her away after she'd freed him, and so he agrees to take her with him even though his plans of escape hadn't accounted for her. He'd planned to stock up a small supply of food and escape into the night on his own will during a night of warmth, but this was the opportunity Allah had provided for him, so he takes it.
Seeing the figures of the band of men in the moonlit distance, the two quickly make their escape, fleeing through the town. They left behind the blanket and the ropes, and Abdur-Rafi was even barefoot. Still, the nipping cold and discomfort were a small sacrifice to make for freedom. And this is the beginning of their journey.
You can guess where some of it would lead, he'd obviously give her da'wah and teach her about Islam and his home during their time together. They'd have to do a lot of hiding and tons of running. They'd be chased by dogs and men on horseback. In time, Abdur-Rafi would create a few weapons for protection, and at one point, he'd use the tools to dig a hole beneath some bushes within a forest. It's a cave sort of area, and they fill it with leaves and the skin of animals he eventually captures and slaughters.
They stick together, helping each other and keeping company, he teaches her about Islam, she teaches him about the land they're in, even the rumors she heard of the sorts of places some past slaves had run away to, and overall they look out for each other. It becomes a dangerous journey, but through it they form a sort of bond. Obviously at some point they find a way to get married somehow (gotta keep it halal lol).
But they're still hunted by Rosay and the others, and well, idk what I'd fill in but I don't wanna just ruin it with an ending yet. But it sounds like a nice story, right? If i wrote it, the name would probably have the word Bonds in it somehow because it could have a double meaning, bonds as in the bondage of slavery, as well as bonding as them becoming close.
Oh, and at some point they'd also come to some of the Native American tribes who still existed and well, it wouldn't go as you might expect it to. But yeah, that's basically it. What do you all think? Were you able to see it all as well as I was in my mind?
I didn't give too many character details, i forgot that part since I wasn't intending to write an actual story lol. But how hard can it be to imagine a random African boy (place him somewhere between 18-23), a couple of racist white slavemasters (and one not-so-bad cousin of them), and a young Native American girl, (place her between 16-20). He's more on the lean side with dark skin and hair, a small beard if any. And she's a little on the short side, long hair in a ponytail, wheatish complexion, round face, etc.
And yeah, another unique tale. Islamic historic fiction set in America. Rich with history and inspiring themes of courage, compassion, and coming together. Featuring characters and a plot like I've never seen in other books, especially not here. It would be a very interesting read, and again, I promise I would follow the heck out of anyone willing to write this story lol.
Comment here if you'd read this one too, and tag anyone you think could pull it off lol.
__________________________
THE JAILBIRD'S WIFE
Amirah Haneef is a newbie in the corporate world, taking a job as a secretary to help pay her way through law school. She's employed in one of the most successful tech companies in town, and even though it isn't her dream job, she's happy with life nonetheless. That is, until he shows up.
Richard B. Adman is the spoiled CEO of RadTech. In all his forty years of life, he'd never been denied a single thing of his interests, and after inheriting the company from his father, his greed only grows. The world is his to own, the workers are there to serve him, and no one dares to defy him. Until she shows up.
"Slick Rick" sets his eyes on Amirah, disregarding the ring on her finger. Despite her clear rejection, he swears that he will have her hand in marriage, whether she likes it or not. Amirah, has other plans though, and when she tells her loving husband of her boss's inappropriate advances, he protects her in the simplest way: seeing to it that the only hand Richard gets is his fist in the face.
And then comes the real trouble.
Amirah is fired from her job and her husband is locked up on unjust and exaggerated charges. Richard does everything in his power to ruin her life completely, pulling strings with the most corrupt judges and officers. Still, Amirah defies him. Rather than submit or give up, Amirah challenges Richard and his allies in the court of law.
As an amateur lawyer, the determined young woman is fighting an uphill battle, but even so, she fights on with love and faith. She will see her husband freed and the lecherous CEO taken down from his imaginary throne. Money is power, but a Muslim woman's will is stronger. Fancy suits and charming smirk won't be enough to save Richard B. Adman this time as he faces Amirah Haneef, the Jailbird's Wife.
---
Yes. This was a direct smack in the face to all the infinite cliche wattpad stories. No more romanticizing corrupt men who abuse their power and innocent women. No more submissive Muslim women who can't resist his charm, who fall unwittingly in love for his stupid smirk, his stupid abs, and his stupid domineering demeanor. Enough is enough.
This Muslimah fights back. This Muslimah has a healthy, romantic relationship with a man who, while possibly flawed in his own ways, isn't a vile, despicable, controlling, possessive jerk. Is he protective? Within limits. Is he aggressive? Never towards her or anyone innocent. Does she have to start off hating him and then somehow fall for him? Nope, they're already happily married and supportive of each other (he's paying for her law school too but since he has a normal job and isn't a bajillionare as is wattpad cliche, it takes a bit of work from both of them which is more realistic.)
This story also can have a strong female lead, who isn't just strong by means of physicality like a man, nor by being a "single independent woman who don't need no man." No, she draws her strength from within herself, her dreams, her values, her love, and her virtue as a Muslim woman. She has character and it shows that she is strong, it doesn't have to be said (and then disproved by submission to the domineering jerk trying to control her).
And another thing, this CEO is closer to the appropriate age for real life. Guess what, those hunky young smirksome CEO's people here are prone to write and dream up, they're nothing like the wrinkled, balding, out of shape, sleazy CEO's of real life (that's not a jab at all CEO's, but the one's who act similar to these characters ie LIKE SLEAZEBAGS, that's how most of them are, so how much are you looking forward to one of them putting their sweaty palms on you, telling you that you belong to them, and straining their crusty old lips to kiss you meanwhile they have a wife and 3 kids, one of whom is your age, and they're likely already cheating with the maid. Not so dreamy now eh?)
Also, before anyone says this story would be a boring legal tale, dw, there's plenty of room for other subplots. The courtroom chapters could be kept to a minimum for dramatic climaxes. You could focus a little time on the husband, he's in jail after all. Maybe the racist gangs in prison will be after him and he's gotta fight to survive, which keeps landing him in more trouble. Some Muslims in there try to recruit him, and at first he tries to assume the best of them but he realizes that unfortunately they're still in criminal mindsets, so he doesn't join, but does accept their help/protection in exchange for teaching them more about Islam, and and here's the kicker, HE DOESN'T BECOME CORRUPT RATHER HE CHANGES THEIR HEARTS (over time, not with one simple inspirational lecture) AND HE MAKES A GENUINE GOOD IMPACT.
And in the meantime, the more time he spends in jail, the harder it is on their marriage. Let's name the husband.... Adnaan. Okay, so in one of early the visits that Amirah pays to the jail to see Adnaan, she reveals that she's pregnant. It had always been their plan to wait until after she finished school to have kids, and they definitely didn't want this to happen while Adnaan is locked up, but everything happens as it is meant to be. So now Adnaan is broken up about that while in jail, and Amirah is still fighting in court, studying her butt off for every angle she can pull to free her husband, take down the corrupt judges, and get Richard put away, ALL while going through her first pregnancy alone (let's say her family lives in another state, she moved away for college).
This is becoming such a layered story. I must admit I only wanted someone to switch up the stupid cliches at first, I wasn't really interested in the story. But now, this is something someone can and should really write. As I said with the others, anyone who decides to write this will get a follow from me :P
Comment here if you would interested in reading this story and again, tag anyone you think could actually pull it off.
_________
AAAAAAAAAAAAnd that about concludes the stories I would never write. Not really, I'm sure I could think of more, but like, this post is long enough and idek if anyone will read it all. Honestly, I'm gonna be posting it in one or two of my other books some time after Ramadan when more people are around, but I wanted to share this stuff and see what people think.
This is in my Curious Questions book first, so let me now ask a few questions:
1) Which of those stories would you be most interested in reading if they were all real books?
2) Do you know any authors here on wattpad who you think would be able to write them decently?
3) Share an idea below for a story that you'd like to read if someone else wrote it, but you would never write it yourself.