"I'll take a nightmare that's real over a dream that's a lie."

"ONE two, three," I counted before another loud rumble interrupted me.

"It's getting closer," I announced, looking towards the guy I had fallen in love with; Oliver Queen.

"That's not very scientific," Oliver mused at me as he turned around to gaze into my eyes, his lips stretching into a wide smile. I couldn't help but smile back. He had one of those smiles that lit up a room.

"What would you know about science, Mr. Ivy League dropout?" The robe slipped off my right shoulder. I tightened the hold on my wine glass in my right hand as I leaned forward, staring my secret lover in the eyes.

"I happen to know a lot about science. I know... fermentation. I know... biology." He tilted his head slightly and leaned forward, connecting our lips. I smiled in between the kiss.

"Laurel's going to kill me." I pulled away, setting the wine glass down on the table as I realised that after this trip, I might lose my bestfriend. I bit my lip. "She's so going to kill me."

"Your bestfriend will never know." I looked over at Ollie in doubt. "Just come here."

He wrapped his arms around me and pushed us onto the bed, him landing on top of me. I giggled and smiled widely, staring into his bright blue eyes. The lights went off for a second and thunder rumbled all around us.

"Okay, that one was really close," I told Ollie, my tone serious as my heart thumped wildly against my ribcage.

"Sara, we're going to be fine." Oliver leaned down and pressed our lips together again.

Ironically, as he said that, we disconnected our lips to watch as the wine glasses on the table tip over and smash on the floor. The bed was flung upwards and we went with it, landing on the other side of the room. I let out a yell, my head hitting the wall harshly.

"Oliver?" I whispered from where I laid on the floor. I reached my hand out to him just as I was being pulled under. My loud scream was abruptly cut off as I became surrounded by darkness.

There was a loud buzzing noise in my ears as I opened my mouth to scream again, but water kept being sucked in and I became lightheaded. I flailed my hands and feet as fast as I could, trying to reach the top, trying to take a breath. If I tried to stay alive for a few more seconds, maybe someone could find me. Maybe I could be rescued in time.

"Help!" Finally, I heard a voice and it took me a few seconds to realize it was my own. I was the one screaming for help.

"Help!" I was pushed back under the current and I flailed my arms around, trying my best to stay afloat.

"Sara!" I looked over to where the Gambit was sinking. Oh my god. It was sinking.

"Sara!" The voice of Oliver screamed into the stormy night, but it mostly blended in with the sound of the waves crashing into one another.

"Sara!"

"Oliver!"

MY eyes stung as I opened them. A harsh bright light clouded my vision and I groaned, tiredly rolling my head to the side, watching as a speck of yellow fluttered into my eyesight. I groaned again, moving my left arm over my stomach as I blinked multiple times, trying to catch a glimpse of what was around me, wherever I was. That's when I realised I was laying on a hard surface.

My muscles trembled as I sat up slowly and when looked down, I was sitting on what looked like a red door. I furrowed my eyebrows. How did I get on it? Did I pull myself onto it? I didn't know and I didn't care at the moment. I survived somehow and I wasn't about to question it further.

There was a loud honking noise behind me and I turned around to see a large boat nearby.

"Help!" I tried shouting, but it only came out as a strained whisper, making me cough weakly.

"Help." Shakily, I rose my weak hand as I sunk back down onto the door, exhausted.

"Over here." The horn honked loudly once again and I closed my eyes, no longer having the strength to keep them open.

"THANK you, thank you," I breathlessly told the man who was leading me somewhere on the ship. My wet robe, the only thing I was wearing other than my underwear, clung tightly to my shivering body.

"What were you doing out there?" The man turned around to stare at me. His dark chocolate eyes gazed up and down my body. I looked around in panic, my whole body shaking.

"The boat that I was on, we got caught in the storm and the boat sunk," I tried explaining, my lips quivering.

"Come." My right arm was grabbed tightly by the man and my left arm was grabbed by another man who came up from behind me. My heart thumped against my rib cage in fear and shock. I thought they were gonna help me; I thought they were gonna get me home to my family.

"Wait, wait, wait! Wait!" I panicked, my feet now sliding across the cold, hard floor of the ship.

"I- Robert Queen! Robert Queen. It was his boat, and- and- they're rich and he'll pay you lots of money, as much as you want! Please!" I gasped out desperately as we walked into a room of metal cages, some of the cages preoccupied by men. Men. Not a single woman. I was stuck on a boat with just men.

Fear crawled up my spine making me swallow harshly. "Please, please! Please, no!" I groaned as I was thrown into one of the cages, landing on a thin mattress on the floor.

"Please, please!" I got up and started pulling at the cage door, crying and sobbing, hoping and begging for them to let me out. All I wanted to do was find my family.

"Please, don't! No! You've made a mistake. Please let me out. Why won't you let me-" The men started walking away which made me start panicking. "No, please, come back! Let me out!"

I moved my head, hiding my face behind my wet and stringy hair as footsteps approached. There was a single tap on the cage door which made me panic again. "Get up." I sat up quickly, scooting away from the caged bars. The man unlocked the door and marched into the cage, gripping my arm roughly.

"No, no, please!" I tried to squirm my way out of his hold, and when that didn't work, I started hitting him as hard as I could. "Please, please, no!"

"The more you struggle-" More hands grabbed me and I was dragged towards a few men who held guns. "-the more it'll hurt," he told me gruffly which only made me squirm even more.

"No, no, please! Please!" I yelled out in panic and fear, tears falling down my cheeks.

"Wait."

Everyone paused and I calmed my breathing slightly as the men moved and behind them appeared a well dressed man.

"Let her go."

"You don't give me orders," said the man who held me tightly, a glare aimed at the new mysterious man.

"No, that would be the Captain. But he works for me... doesn't he?" The man questioned with a smug look.

I was roughly pushed into him. "Help me, please!" I begged, looking up at the well dressed man.

"Come here." He wrapped his arms around me protectively and led me past the men.

"I'M afraid it's not much, but, uh... it's home." I walked into the room, my arms clutching my body tightly as I tried to keep myself warm. I descended the four stepped stairs, but at the sound of the door closing and the click of a lock, I stopped abruptly and whipped around with wide eyes.

"Why did you lock the door?" I whimpered out, my arms darting out in front of me as I took a shaky step back.

"No, no, no, no." He held out his hands, trying to calm me down.

"It's not because... it's just a habit. My shipmates aren't exactly the nicest bunch." The man lowered his hands and sighed. He made his way down the stairs and closer to me.

My body shook as I tried to hold in my sobs as he gestured to a seat. "Please, come in. Have a seat."

I hesitantly sat down and I could no longer hold off my sobs; they started escaping my throat in small bursts.

The man slowly sat down on a stool in front me. "My is Ivo. Dr. Anthony Ivo. And you are?"

"Sara," I whispered slowly, my eyes darting to the floor.

"Nice to meet you, Sara." His eyes were locked on mine, but as he spoke, I couldn't help squirming under his gaze.

"Why do you keep those men down there in those cells?" I questioned in slight curiosity and fear, my small body shaking from the cold.

"It's my work. I need them," he replied back, his voice void of emotion. His stare was as cold and void as his voice as he stared into my teary ones.

"What work?"

"I'm going to save the human race, Sara. Maybe you can help me."

I pursed my lips as I stared down at Oliver who laid awkwardly on the floor. He slowly got onto his knees and looked up at me in shock and slight joy.

"How are you-" I cut him off as I kicked him harshly in the chest, making him groan and lean over.

"Prisoners do not speak," I told him sternly before walking out of the room, a knife clutched tightly in my hand.