The Time Traveler's Wife

The Strange Naked Crazy Lady in the Park

May 1997

Carmilla winces against the harsh, warm sunlight that's suddenly beaming into her face. It takes her a moment to realize she's in a park. Luckily, she appeared behind some shrubbery but it's only a matter of time before she's spotted.

She has no idea where she is but the area seems vaguely familiar. There's no Laura waiting. There's no pile of clothes anywhere in sight.

Shit. I was hoping my days of stealing were behind me.

Not exactly the way I was hoping to spend the midnight into my twenty-third birthday.

"...Stupid Danny," a young voice grumbles nearby.

Carmilla's eyes widen at the sight of Laura, younger than she's ever seen her, walking down the path past the bushes.

"Sure, Danny. Let's just let our teacher take all our money, Danny. Dumb Danny. HAH. 'Dumb Danny' is waaaay meaner than 'Loser Laura.'"

"Laura?" Carmilla whispers as Laura gets closer. "Laura!"

The small girl jumps with a yelp and grabs her heart. "Wh-Who's there?"

"It's Carmilla."

"Who?" Laura asks, panicked.

Oh. Fuck.

"Have you ever met anyone named Carmilla Karnstein before?" Carmilla asks gently, still shrouded in the greenery.

"No," Laura answers, her voice small but not afraid.

Instead, she steps towards Carmilla before she has a chance to stop Laura or react.

"Oh god! Why are you naked?" Laura shrieks. "Mommm--"

Without thinking, Carmilla lunges forward and clamps her hand over Laura's mouth, muffling her scream.

"Laura, Laura! I need you to calm down for a few seconds and let me explain, okay? And then if you're still scared, you can call for your mom." Carmilla looks Laura in the eyes, pleading. "Okay?"

Laura hesitates for a moment but seems convinced by Carmilla's desperate look to give her a chance. She gives a frantic but firm nod.

Carmilla slowly withdraws her hand.

"Uhm, excuse me. But who the hell are you?"

"Carmilla. I'm a time traveler from the future, sweetheart."

Laura's look of trepidation goes to one of exasperation. "I'm six years old. Not stupid years old."

Carmilla chuckles at that. "I come from your future. A future where we've met quite a bunch of times," she explains carefully. "How else would I know that you live at 307 Spatula Ave and your parents' names are Eileen and Sherman?"

"Maybe you're a creepy stalker," Laura fires back, making Carmilla laugh again.

"You're quite the spunky little kid, y'know that?"

Laura crosses her arms. "So why did you time travel here? A park in the spring of 1997 is pretty lame."

"I don't get to pick and choose where or when I go," Carmilla explains. "Although this is the first time I've traveled back to you outside your house."

"You've... been inside my house?"

Carmilla nods. "Well, I suppose from your point of view, I will be inside your house. I usually pop up in your attic and you give me what I assume are some of your mom's clothes to wear til I disappear again."