Arrow-Rieka

Season 1

I hear a man's voice as my eyes flutter open. There's a thin tiled ceiling above me, the kind that you can pup the panels up to get to the pipes and wiring.

"She has some traumatic injuries, we need to get the police here." I hear the man say to another person.

Suddenly a familiar voice catches my attention, it's coming from down the hallway. Moira Queen. She's talking to someone about her son, Oliver.

Oliver has over 5 years on me, but he never snitched on me when I snuck out of Malcolm Merlyn's place when we were younger.

A small smile creeps across my face, remembering the simpler times. I remember when I would crawl through Oliver's window at night and curl up in the chair in his room.

I look around the room I'm now in, and notice that I'm in a hospital bed. Beside me there's a nurse with his back turned to me. He leaves without looking behind him, giving me the chance to run to the window. I take it and rush towards the window and look outside.

Looking down, I notice that I'm at least 10 stories high. I go back over to the bed and make a rope out of the bed sheet and towels, then make my way out the window, almost tasting freedom.

Unfortunately the cloth starts to rip and the only thing that breaks my fall is a man who is bringing out the trash. I quickly get up off of him and race into the shadows before anyone notices.

I run across the street in nothing but a hospital gown, into a laundromat. I steal a few pieces of clothing from clean baskets and make my way to the bathroom. Once I'm dressed I squeeze out of the bathroom window and turn the corner.

I put up my hood as I notice reporters swarming the hospital, as Oliver is escorted by his mother to a car that's waiting for them. I can't help but feel a bit bad for Oliver for the spotlight that's on him. All I can hope is that he keeps his promise to never snitch on me.

After all, he is the only one who knew I was on the yacht.

I watch as the car drives off and the news reporters disperse. Then I see him. Detective Lance. He's talking to the nurse that was in my room. I duck my head low and make my way to the Glades.

————

I look up and see the old sign for the Queen Industrials factory and hop over the rusted fence. I make my way inside the now dark and damp interior. There are papers laying all over the ground and I see his face. The late, Mr. Queen.

I shake my head, remembering him calling for his son when the boat went down.

I brush the thought aside and head towards the basement, one of the places where I used to hide out when I was younger. I crawl through a hole in the wall that I made and find the dirty old cot that I would take naps on.

I lay down and sigh as I close my eyes. I'm jolted awake by a shock but then I realize that it's just memories. My heartbeat settles down but my brain won't let me close my eyes for more that 3 seconds at a time.

"Why do I gotta be like this?" I growl to myself in frustration.

I toss and turn on the cot but it's no use, the space I'm in is too open, too big. I'm not used to this much space.

I get up and find a little crook in the wall and drag the cot over there. Laying back down, I close my eyes and finally start to fall asleep.

I wake up to a familiar voice and look around, but no one's there. No one but the darkness. Then I realize I heard myself screaming. My breathing calms down but I can't fall back asleep.

I head out into the alleyway to check out if the pizza place still throws out left overs. Apparently they do, and other people have figured it out too...