Into the Selamlik: Arabian Fantasy

She crouched low behind a carved screen and studied the selamlik. They were keeping her brother in there, for some reason, and she was compelled to find out why. She would not be allowed to see him, would not be allowed to set foot in the sacred preserve of the men of the family, but she must know that her brother was all right. It was just the two of them, after all; they were all that was left of their family. Their parents had died in a tragic djinn escape incident. She closed her eyes and conjured the image of the abiyah that she wore. Carefully, she remembered the pattern of the gold threads woven through its dark fabric. Slowly, she made herself fade into invisibility. When she held the invisibility firmly in her mind, she--

Inspiration: selamlik - the area of a Turkish palace or home that is kept for the men's use only.
Story Potential: Medium-high
Notes: Ok, I started laughing after I wrote "tragic djinn escape incident," but this might still be worth something.