Carmilla wandered aimlessly along the side of the road. It was probably about three in the morning, but it didn't matter because she could not sleep.
It had been a little over eighty years since she'd killed Elle and her daughter. She hadn't sought Laura out, and she still couldn't find the motivation to, even if she tried. She didn't know what would happen if she did happen run into Laura. She supposed she'd have to kill her, but it wouldn't bring her any joy. And the more she thought about it... none of the previous kills had. Sure, perhaps the very first one was rather cathartic, and maybe even the second and third. But Nicolaus had been right. Killing Laura time and time again had gotten tiring, and after this past one, heartbreaking.
She head a car a several miles away, and from what she could tell, it was moving fast. She crouched by the side of the road, readying herself for sudden movement. Once the car was in range, she sprung out and landed dead ahead of the car, not giving it enough time to stop.
However, instead of hitting her full-on, the car swerved at the last second, tearing a sleeve off her jean jacket as it barreled straight into a nearby oak tree, halting upon collision.
Suddenly concerned for the driver's wellbeing, Carmilla rushed to the driver's side, which was misshapen and curving around the trunk of the tree. The driver remained trapped inside. Carmilla could just make out the figure of a girl as she struggled frantically to unfasten her jammed seatbelt, but it was no use.
Carmilla gestured to the girl to stop struggling and cover her face. The girl nodded and did so just as Carmilla smashed the windshield with her elbow. The shards landed all across the front seat and the girl's lap, and Carmilla began yanking at the seatbelt.
"C'mon... C'mon..." Carmilla huffed. But it was no use. The very thing that was meant to protect was in fact doing the opposite. After a few more minutes, Carmilla gave up and hopped off the hood of the car and went back around to the driver's side. She told the girl to cover her face again, and she listened. Carmilla then shattered the driver's window, trying a different angle to tug the seatbelt, but it still didn't work. She sighed and pried the deformed door open, before both of them watched the door detach and fall to the ground. The girl stared at Carmilla in awe.
Carmilla then leaned in near the girl's neck and bit through the seatbelt, freeing her at last. It was then that a familiar metallic stench hit Carmilla.
Blood.
And it was then that Carmilla suddenly realized how hungry she was. She eyed the girl, who wasn't bleeding too badly, mostly minor scrapes and abrasions. But the blood smelled good enough to Carmilla that she almost lunged for the girl. Almost.
There were only two things stopping her, both of which conflicted, ironically. One, she'd made a pact to try to be a good person ever since she murdered Elle and that infant (the caveat being encountering Laura, of course). And two, the girl's blood belonged to that of the caveat—Laura.
"Laura...?" Carmilla breathed, so taken aback by the coincidence and circumstance that she forgot to keep her thoughts inside.
The girl looked at her with confusion.
"Do I know you?"
"What? No," Carmilla shook her head. "I'm sorry. I just... I must've mistaken you for someone else."
"That's so weird... my name's Laura," the girl told her. She paused. "Thank you, by the way. For helping me."
Carmilla felt torn. If she'd just left Laura vulnerable, the kill would've been easier. But it was too late for that now. Or was it?
No, it was. She'd decided.
"I wish I didn't have to meet you like this," Laura half-joked, holding her head. "But I'm so glad I did."
She stopped and studied Carmilla for a moment before asking what was really on her mind.
"What were you doing out here?"
"I, uh... enjoy hiking."
"In the middle of the road? At three in the morning?" Laura pressed. She rubbed at her head. "In front of an oncoming car?"
"I'm an adrenaline junkie, creampuff..." Carmilla lamely lied.
"Sure," Laura nodded, clearly not believing her.
"What about you?" Carmilla turned the tables. "You're all alone at three in the morning, leaving who-knows-where like a bat out of hell."
"Running away," Laura answered honestly. She blinked a few times, suddenly looking a little dazed. "My parents and I had a little fight that I don't want to get into, and I was gonna go check in somewhere."
Laura turned to look at the before turning to look back at Carmilla.
"Unfortunately, the trunk is so busted, it probably won't open," she paused before her eyes lit up with an idea. "Maybe you could use your superhuman strength to pop it open for me?"
"Superhuman strength?" Carmilla snorted. "Where'd you get that idea, cupcake?"
"You smashed my windshield, my window, and then yanked the door right off my car," Laura answered.
"But superhuman though?"
"Relax, I was just joking..." Laura chuckled. "Didn't think you'd get offended."
"I'm not offended, I was just... confused."
Carmilla watched Laura start toward the car.
"Are you gonna pry my trunk open or not?" Laura asked with an edge of impatience, stumbling slightly.
"You sure you're okay, cupcake?" Carmilla asked. Laura didn't respond, she simply collapsed to the ground, hitting her head on the pavement.
