4

	I returned to the castle at nightfall. Mother was sitting in her room 
humming, like she did every night. I walked over to her and sat down on her 
lap when she called for me. I know I'm almost 13 years old, but hey, 
everyone acts like a kid even when they're 25, and I still sat on Mother's 
lap every night and rested my head on her bosom, and letting her twirl my 
hair around her fingers as she sang and rocked me to sleep as if I was still 
an infant.

	After I fell asleep, Mother tried to carry me to my coffin, but I woke up. 
Mother laughed, "You're getting too big for this, Adrian."

	"Like I care?" I groaned, rubbing my eyes, then leaning my head against 
Mother's shoulder.

	Mother smiled, and wrapped her arms around me, hugging me softly. I hugged 
her back, breathing in the warm scent of her honey-colored hair. I couldn't 
see why Witchhunters would want to kill her if they caught her. But then 
again, I loved my Mother dearly, and would protect her with my life if need 
be.

	Mother gently stroked my hair, "You planning on going to sleep soon?"

	I nodded, "Yeah... sooner or later. I was up all night last night."

	We stood there for about five minutes, talking occasionally, before Mother 
finally escorted me to my room. I laid down in my coffin and drifted into a 
dreamless, restless sleep.


	Waking up the next morning, I stared up at the lid of my coffin, like 
usual. I didn't really want to get up and go outside today. I just wanted to 
lay there, thinking nothing, saying nothing, not moving, and pretending to 
be dead, even though you could consider me dead because of my Vampiric 
lineage. Heck, I've even slept for an entire month before, without a pulse, 
and not even breathing. I could easily pass for someone that's deceased... 
(You should have seen the prank I pulled last Halloween...)

	I was still tired, and my eyes wanted to close again, but I refused to let 
them. My birthday was tomorrow, and I could hardly wait. Note: That sentence 
was sarcastic.

	Finally getting out of my coffin, I didn't fall and bonk my chin like I did 
when I was five... except the bright light from the chandelier almost 
blinded me each morning, which soon caused me to fall and bonk my chin every 
once and awhile. I know I'm pathetic, you don't have to rub it in.

	I walked downstairs, and before Mother leapt out and started tickling me, I 
said, "Don't even think about it, Mother..."

	Like she would have listened to me.

	Mother started tickling me, which made me collapse to the ground in a fit 
of laughter in an instant. I started yelling, "I'M UP! I'M UP!!!"

	I don't really know, but it seemed that as I got older, I became more 
ticklish, and Mother just loved to "Attack" me.

	Mother stopped about a minute later, although it seemed agonizingly longer, 
"You ready for your lucky number 13 tomorrow?"

	I sarcastically laughed, "Ha-ha, I can hardly wait..."

	Mother smiled, and hugged me, "Don't worry, I know your first teenage year 
is sort of scary, especially when your voice starts to change."

	I glared at her, "You insult me when that change is happening to me and I'm 
gonna tickle you back..."

	Mother shook her head, "Now why would I insult my little boy?"

	"Because you always have my entire life?" I joked. Mother laughed.

	I liked to joke with Mother. It was fun, especially when I heard her laugh. 
I still loved the sound of her laugh, even today. It sounded just as 
youthful as when I was 5 years old.

	Soon, I walked away from Mother to go outside, watching the sky turn from 
its hazy pink, to the beautiful gold, and then to the sky blue that always 
shone... unless my Father was up to something, then it was a dull grey or 
intense black.

	The birds weren't singing; everything was quiet, which seemed somehow 
unusual. Birds always sang in the morning, but for some reason, they 
weren't... I shrugged and walked down the side of the cliff, careful now to 
fall into the sea below. I walked to Town; no one was up yet, but then 
again, THAT was normal... people in Transylvania liked to sleep in on cool 
mornings such as this.

	I walked into one of the town alleys and then looked around. I saw a rat 
nearby and I scooped it up in my hand, sinking my fangs into it. The 
creature squeaked for a second, but soon quieted as I finished my meal.

	Yes, I can eat normal food that Mortals eat, but blood gives a little color 
to my face... not to mention, some Mortal food is slightly overcooked...

	Wiping the remaining blood from my mouth, I walked back into the Town 
Square, looking up at the makeshift cross that stood in the center of the 
village; the cross that they hung witches from and burned them to the bone. 
I gritted my teeth after picturing my Mother hanging from that cross. I 
couldn't stand to see Mother go through any kind of torture, or pain, 
whether it were emotional, physical, or mental.

	I sat down on a nearby bench, waiting for the news stand to open so I could 
buy the latest news pamphlet. I was able to read since I was seven years 
old, and I usually waited for the pamphlet each morning, since people 
crowded the stand about ten minutes after they woke up. It was sort of 
funny, however; seeing their tired faces lurching forward, their hands 
nearly dropping the three silver pieces in their hands.

	Finally, 9:00 came over the Town, and I bought a pamphlet, sitting back 
down on the bench and reading it. It was sort of strange... now, witch 
hunters were posting a sort of table of the top five "witches" in 
Transylvania that were wanted, the most wanted at #1:

1. Lisa Tepes
2. Elizabeth Bartley (My Cousin)
3. Samantha Detar
4. Victoria Sonatina
5. Georgina Simms


	My face paled at seeing my Mother's name at #1... that meant Witch Hunters 
were looking all over for them. I didn't really care that my cousin was 
being hunted down; she was a savage beast as my Father was... well, after 
all, she's his neice and a known killer, being that she was a Vampire... but 
why wasn't Elizabeth #1 instead of my Mother? Was it because Mother was 
simply Vlad Tepes Dracula's wife and the one who brought his child into the 
world!? I have to say that Mortals are foolish, but this has gone too far.

	Enraged, I stood, tearing the pamphlet into pieces, saving the table so I 
could show Mother and maybe Father if he even showed himself tonight and 
walking back to the castle, not caring if anyone acknowledged my anger. I 
walked through the Forest of Silence, all of the animals, even the wolves, 
cowering and running away from me. My fast walked turned into running, and I 
dashed past all of them quicker than they could move, and I even ran into a 
deer, which was soon torn to threads because of my anger. I left it for the 
wolves to pick off of, and finally got back to the castle, collapsing on the 
marble floor as soon as I came in the huge doors and gasped for breath.

	I heard rushing footsteps and Mother soon came into view, kneeling next to 
me, "Adrian, what happened?! Are you alright?!"

	I nodded, glad to have Mother near me. I reached into my pocket and handed 
her the wrinkled up table that I had shredded from the pamphlet.

	Mother read it, and reached out and hugged me tightly. I hugged her back, 
not wanting to have her die. I wouldn't let hunters get her, no matter what. 
They'd have to kill me before they got to her.

	Mother shushed me when I started to sniffle, slowly rocking me back and 
forth, "It's okay, Adrian..."

	"No, it's not... you're not a witch, you're a healer; they CAN'T kill you 
for being that..." I said, looking up at her, my eyes red from getting ready 
to cry. Mother gently stroked my cheek.

	"Sweetie... everything's gonna be okay, don't worry... if I die, then I 
die, nothing can stop it."

	"But I don't want you to die, Mother..."

	"I'm Mortal, Adrian... I will die someday and you have to face that," 
Mother said softly. But I didn't want to face it. I wanted my Mother to live 
longer than this damned table said.

	I pulled away from Mother and walked to my room, sitting down on the lid of 
my coffin. Tears were ready to spill from my eyes; I just didn't want Mother 
to die by an execution! I wanted her to grow old, live her life, and die a 
natural death. Mother was a healing doctor, not a witch!