Lore/Oliver McQueen: Sacrifices

It was a dark night. The sea was awfully calm and quiet. It was true what they said, it’s always calm before the storm. My father was talking to the captain of the ship, and I was getting more drinks for us.

“Oliver, don’t you think you two have had enough?” asked my father. “C’mon dad, it’s not like we have a business meeting tomorrow”, I jokingly responded. Although he was a bit concerned, he eventually helped me with carrying the champagne bottle and the two glasses to my room in the yacht.

My dad and I talked for a bit, and I suppose she heard us since she stepped out. “Look what I got us”, I said, showing her the champagne. “Haha, take it easy you two. We still have another day worth of sailing to do.” said my father.

After my father left, we went back to my room. As I was pouring out two glasses of champagne, she snuck up behind me and hugged me. “I love you, you know that?” she said. “Yeah well, I love me too.” I said as I laughed. She lightly slapped my arm, then we kissed. I was so lost in this moment that I had no idea what was going on outside the yacht, by which point, it was too late…

\*BOOM\* A loud explosion on the back end of the yacht. I looked at her, worried, then told her to stay here. As she gathered a few things, I bolted it to the main deck. As the heavy rain hit my face, I saw thunder in the skies, and lightning striking the sea, so close to our yacht. “Dad! I think something blew up in the back!” I yelled. I heard cracking noises, then as I looked up I saw the sail on the yacht starting to fall.

My dad and the captain went for the small emergency boat. I ran back to my room. “Oliver! The ship’s sinking! Come with us now, damnit!” screamed my dad as I ignored him. At this point, the boat was already bowing through the middle. It was literally about to be ripped in half. I saw a big hole towards the back, with pieces of the fuel tank scattered on the floor. Water was rushing in quickly…too quickly. I broke through the door, and saw her being pulled under by the force of the water.

I immediately jumped after her, grabbing her hand one last time. “Ollie, help!” she said, with a scared look on her face. “Don’t you let go of me!” I yelled at her. I struggled, trying to find something to grip onto, but everything was going underwater. I began sliding down with her, and she said, “Let go Ollie! You’ll drown with me!” At that point, I gripped her hand even tighter.

We both went under.

The water was cold, and visibility was close to zero since it was night time. Stuff from the yacht was falling into the water. I still had a grip of her hand, but something fell on us. My grip broke, and at that point, I swam back up. I looked around for her, yelling her name. “OLIVER!!” I looked over, and saw my dad and the captain in the emergency boat. They came to me, but I went back under. I could not see a thing… I could not see her. I swam around for as long as I could until my father and the captain pulled me up and onto the boat. My hands were shaking as I looked up to my father in shock. “Sh-she’s gone, dad. I-I couldn’t save her.” I said. He came up to me, gave me a hug, and said, “I know son. I’m sorry”

She was really gone. The love of my life, dead. I couldn’t save her. I wasn’t strong enough. Sierra was dead.

A few days passed on the small boat, and we were running really low on food and water. I was still in shock over Sierra but even I noticed. My father looked anxiously at the captain, who was eating a nutrition bar at the moment. He then looked at me with sympathetic eyes. “Dad, is something wrong?” I asked, knowing the answer. As he was looking at me, he handed me a small booklet. I opened the handbook, and saw a few names scribbled down, most of people, but an ominous one that caught my eye. “Dad, what’s ‘Dea-‘” \*BLAM\* I looked up immediately, and there was my dad, pointing his small revolver towards the captain, who just got shot. “DAD! WHAT DID YOU DO?!” I yelled. “What is necessary, son.” claimed my father. I did not know what to say. I couldn’t move. I just remembered Sierra’s face in her last moments.

After dumping the captain’s body in the sea, he looked at the supplies and then at me. “Oliver, you’re a strong man. You’re lost, but I know you, son. And I love you.” said my father looking dead at me. “That list contains names of people and an organization that have destroyed countless lives, and they are moving to Panau. I am not what everyone thinks I am… I, unfortunately, helped this organization. Oliver, I want you to make things right. Clear our family’s name. I’m sorry son that I couldn’t be a good example to follow” said he as he looked down. “Dad, WHAT are you talking about?” I asked, seeing him gripping his gun even tighter. “Oliver…survive.” \*BLAM\* His body fell on the boat.

My father, Thomas McQueen, killed himself right in front of me so that I could survive.

I sat there, in complete disbelief. How could this be happening to me? It was only supposed to be a fishing trip. “Oliver...survive.” Those words, forever haunting. I got up and looked around. That’s when I saw it: Lian Yu, the island that made me who I am today. Eventually, I made it to the shore and buried my father. The island had already taken a part of me, and what I didn’t know was that this was just the beginning. The beginning of many… Sacrifices.