Even to this day, Ali Baba didn't know how long it took him to come back to his senses after that. The only thing he knew was that the thieves were already off by then, and that it took a hard time to break free of his father's grasp, as his arm had already gone stiff.
What happened after his father was stabbed was a blur to him. Those memories would sometimes reveal themselves in his nightmares, stealing away any hope of sleep and reminding him of his own helplessness.
However, they were never complete, never coherent enough to make sense of.
It remained a mystery.
Ali Baba searched the area after that, but he didn't find Qassim's body.
He didn't know what had become of his older brother.
As the sun began to dip on the horizon, and the howls of the famished wolves filled the air, Ali Baba was reminded of his situation, and he looked back at the body of his father.
He could not let him lie there. Not in the open like that.
