Free Nillium Neems by Francisco J Ruiz

said
quietly to myself, turning it this way and that.
    There was a rustling within
the walls. But Mousy was out here with me, which meant it was
the other sort of
rustling. The kind that I never wanted to hear. I looked down at
the hole to see Derrick worming his way out, at one moment small
enough to fit in there, but rapidly growing back to his normal
size.
    With a shout of rage I swung at him with the
bone I still held, but he was too quick for me and scurried around
to the other side of my bed, so that it stood protectively between
us. The bone shattered harmlessly against the floor, sending its
remnants in all directions.
    "How dare you show your face back here!" I
screamed at Derrick, raising my fists.
    He hissed at me in annoyance.
    "I am not here to play games," he gargled at
me. "I am here for repentance, to atone for my betrayal."
    "And how do you intend to do that?" I asked,
circling the bed towards him. I lunged. Derrick was a speedy fellow
and dodged deftly to the side, somehow making his way up the wall
and perching atop my untrustworthy clock. His legs dangled down in
front of it.
    "I will show you a way out," he said,
holding up a hand for me to stop. "A way to freedom."
    "Don’t lie to me, Derrick!’ I replied,
though he paid little attention to my anger. He almost looked smug,
staring down at me. At least that was, until Mousy bit him.
    Forgotten by both of us, Mousy had made his
own way up the wall to the clock. He’d latched onto Derrick’s foot
with all of the strength that his tiny form held, making the
bogeyman howl in pain. Derrick tumbled down from the clock and
landed in a heap on the floor.
    I walked over to him and placed one foot
almost delicately on his chest. My hand, seemingly of its own
volition, found its way around his throat.
    "Tell me everything that you can, Derrick.
Every word of help you can speak or you’re dead."
    He just whimpered in reply, small green
tears running from his eyes.
    "Well?" I asked, tightening my grip.
    "No fair!" he gurgled, and I realized that
he was more angry than scared. "You’re not playing fair!"
    I tightened my grip further, until the
little monster whimpered.
    "Alright, alright , what do
you want from me,
my sweet?"
    "Anything that you can give me that might
help," I told him smugly. "Anything and everything."
    Needless to say, I was feeling pretty good
about myself at that moment. For once in my life, I wasn’t the
victim and actually had some measure of power against one who had
caused me harm. Derrick stared up at me with his beady little eyes.
Mousy made his way down from the clock and sat on the floor beside
me, eyeing Derrick warily.
    "Who is Siegfried?" I asked him, loosening
my grip just slightly so that he could respond. "What role does he
play in all of this?"
    Derrick’s face clouded with annoyance.
    "You ask me of
him ? That
fool?"
    "Yes, Derrick. Who is he?"
    Derrick spat in disgust.
The spit landed right on my arm and then actually moved off and down to
the floor, crawling away into a corner. I tried not to pay it any
attention.
    "Siegfried and your little mousy mouse are
nothing. Worms. Fools with a hopeless dream and a useless cause.
Forget them, my sweet."
    I hit him across the face. Hard.
    "Call me ‘my sweet’ one more time, and it
will go very hard with you Derrick."
    He whimpered again. I couldn’t tell if his
fear was real or if he was planning to wriggle away somehow. I
tightened up my grip just in case.
    "Don’t hurt me," he choked out. "Please,
waste no more time on thoughts of slugs and mice. We must think of
escape. Nillium Neems, the Director of this place, this heart, this
Atrium, cannot be slain. Siegfried’s cause is hopeless and will
lead you, lead us, only to death. Death, and worms, and rot. We
will escape, escape, together you and I. That is the way, the only
way, the way."
    I stared hard into his mean little eyes. I
saw a lot of things in there, a lot of wickedness, but I also saw
truth. The maniac was sincere.