2

	We ended up going back home without getting anything from the Market. It 
was just too dangerous to stay around. Mommy had gone and locked herself in 
her room for almost the rest of the day. I hated seeing Mommy upset, and I 
practically layed in my coffin for the rest of the day, staring up at the 
lid which was lined with red felt and etched with black roses.

	I finally came out at nightime when I heard Mommy and Daddy talking. I 
didn't go into the room that they were in, but I stayed outside and 
listened.

	"Vlad, I'm worried about what will happen to Adrian if this keeps going on. 
He can't go outside unless I'm with him, and he won't be able to go past the 
forest borders. How's he supposed to grow up wanting to be like a mortal 
when people are afraid of him and want to kill him? That's why he went after 
Garamoth; to get humans to know that all demons weren't horrible."

	"Adrian can protect himself, Lisa. He knows how to turn into a bat, wolf 
and mist and run away."

	"And the townspeople can shoot him if he's a bat or wolf, and his magic 
level drops if he goes into a mist, so it won't do him any good. And if I'm 
in Town with him under my cloak, and the townspeople figure out who I really 
am, they can kill both me and Adrian."

	I listened for what seemed like hours on end while Mommy and Daddy talked 
about the dangers of Town. I wanted to jump in and tell Mommy that I would 
be okay, but I didn't want to get hurt, either.

	About five minutes later, I finally did jump in, "Mommy, you don't have to 
be worried about me... I CAN take care of myself... really. I've dealt with 
bad guys before..."

	I ran over to Mommy and hugged her. Daddy reached out and messed up my 
hair, and I batted his hand away. Just like I hated Mommy calling me 
'Alucard,' I hated Daddy messing up my hair.

	Mommy straightened my hair out, "Adrian, you have fought bad guys before, 
but you've never fought humans... I can't risk letting you get hurt."

	I sighed, and rested my head on Mommy's shoulder, "Okay... I won't leave 
the castle unless you tell me to..."