Laura slowly meandered through the dense thicket of bodies. It was tough going, trying to push through the crowd with all her luggage. She adjusted the straps on her backpack and tugged on her suitcase as she inched forward.

"Ow! What the fuck?" someone snarled. "Get this fat thing off me!"

"Crap! Sorry, sorry!" Laura squealed. She had squashed someone's foot underneath her humongous suitcase. With a gigantic effort that belied her small stature, she heaved the suitcase free. Panting slightly from exertion, she pushed her hair out of her sweaty face and looked around for her victim. Her eyes fell on a girl who was cursing fluently under breath as she massaged her foot.

"Oh my gosh I'm so sorry! Do you need some ice for that? I don't have any right now but when we get to the dorms I'll find some and bring it to you! Where's your luggage? I can help you with that since, you know, I crushed your foot and all," Laura quipped nervously, fluttering her hands uselessly in the air.

Before her victim could respond, a hand gripped the back of Laura's collar and pulled her roughly around. She came face to face with a veritable redheaded giant. And a good looking one at that. But before Laura could admire her any further, the giant flexed her biceps threateningly and raised her fist, which incidentally was larger than Laura's face.

"Did you hurt her? Carmilla? Did you hurt her? You've got three seconds to give me the right answer, frosh!" she shouted, pointing at the other girl, now hopping up and down on one foot.

Laura didn't give her a chance to start counting. She reached up and grasped the tall girl's wrist, twisting underneath her arm. The girl wasn't expecting that and let go of Laura's shirt. Laura stepped back quickly, dropping the wrist and folding her arms across her chest. She glared at the redhead, mildly annoyed.

"Listen! I don't know who you think you are but you can't just push me around! Yeah, I did roll over her foot but it was an accident!" Laura said angrily, jabbing a finger at the Ent.

The giantess's eyes blazed. She stepped forward menacingly until Laura had to crane her neck to stare up into her face. She was very, very tall. Laura gulped. She learned Krav Maga mainly for self-defense. Her knowledge of offensive techniques was woefully lacking. Either way it didn't matter. Laura Hollis was a small girl who barely cleared the giant's belly button. And although Laura was a powerhouse—that's why her father called her his "baby Hulk"—she was no match for this Goliath and her rippling muscles.

"Woah, break it up guys. Perr, looks like we have some trouble already."

Both Laura and the girl started. Laura flushed, slightly embarrassed. What am I thinking? Picking fights on the first day? No, she totally had it coming! She bit her bottom lip, twisting the hem of her shirt between her hands. But still, it's the first day. I should be trying to get along with people. That's what Dad'll want me to do.

Before Laura could open her mouth and apologize, two more redheads appeared, one with extremely curly hair that made her look like she just made out with a live wire, and the other with a side-swept undercut. The curly haired girl took in the scene before her—Laura looking abashed and the tall girl looking murderous.

"I'm Lola Perry, one of the floor dons at Silas. This is LaFontaine." Lola Perry jerked her head in the undercut redhead's direction. "I'm supposed to be overseeing the smooth transition of freshmen into the school. Danny, what's going on here?" she asked, fixing the tall girl with a stern stare.

"LaF, Perr, relax. I was just asking this frosh if she hurt Carmilla. And then she decided to go full out ninja on me," the giantess said, rolling her eyes. Laura looked at Danny with outraged disbelief.

"Hey! That's not true. You grabbed me by my collar and yanked me around! How else was I supposed to react? You could've been trying to—to kidnap me or something!" Laura shot back.

"Cupcake, please. Who'd want to kidnap you?"

Laura looked for the source of that husky voice. It came from her victim, Carmilla. Laura was relieved to see her upright, lounging lazily against Laura's suitcase. Great. I didn't break anyone's bones. Laura's eyes absently traveled down Carmilla's body. Tight leather pants accentuated the curve of her legs nicely while a sheer gray shirt clung to her torso, leaving little to the imagination. It was immensely distracting. Why are all the girls here so damn good looking?

"And for the record, I can take care of myself, thanks." Carmilla continued, throwing a haughty glance at Danny, who balled her hands into fists but didn't answer. Carmilla laughed lightly, the sound sending strange shivers down Laura's back, and tossed her head. Her wavy black hair shifted slightly away from her face. Laura looked curiously at Carmilla. And was transported back in time.

Back to that day. The sun baked earth. The stench of death in the air. Her father, kneeling next to her mother, trying to save her. All in vain.

"Oh!" Laura gasped, staggering back. She felt herself falling. Strong arms caught her. Carmilla's face swam into view.

The sun. Death. Her father. And that strange woman.

Danny was shouting something at her. Laura couldn't hear. Carmilla bent over her again.

The strange woman. Was it Carmilla? It couldn't be. Carmilla would be middle aged by now.

Darkness.