Read Online Nillium Neems by Francisco J Ruiz - Free Book Online Page B

knelt down beside the face and placed one
hand gently upon it.
    "I’m no hero," I said quietly. "I can’t stop
the Killer and avenge you. I’m just a little girl. Scared and
fragile. I’m just Nillium Neems, no one more."
    The face just stared back at me. I felt it
was mocking my decision. I glanced over at Mousy who was still with
me, asleep on his side and rustling contentedly. That gave me some
comfort. I picked the little guy up.
    "Wake up, Mousy. It’s time to get
started."
    He let out a snort-like rustle and blinked
his eyes open, staring up at me. I saw something more than just
rodent intelligence looking out of his ever-blue eyes, and for the
first time started to wonder just what Mousy truly was.
    I put him back on my head, stuffed the
Snoopy Cap over him, and headed for the door. I glanced back once
at the face on the floor.
    "I’m sorry," I said
quietly, and then turned back to the door, cracking it open to peer
outside. There was nobody in sight, so I edged my way silently out.
It occurred to me with approaching joy that I’d spent the night
away from my cell. A night doing what I wanted to do, instead of what the
doctors demanded. My heart lifting a little at that, I set off down
the hall, not really sure what my goal was now.
    Figuring I might as well head upwards, I
went in the opposite direction of where Derrick had led me before,
moving quickly. I passed my old room on the way, unable to resist
the urge to stop and look through the little window that was set
into the door.
    It was exactly as I had left it. The Book
sat back on the shelf, the Pocket Watch right below it. And look!
There was that stupid clock, up on the wall above, surely telling
the wrong time. I almost laughed aloud at how much that clock had
angered me. It seemed so small and pathetic in its tiny defiance of
me, the worst it could do being to get the time wrong.
    Not able to help myself, I turned the door
knob. I almost leapt back in shock when it opened. My door was
unlocked...
    Smiling now, I walked inside, careful not to
shut it behind me just in case it decided to lock itself, and I
wandered over to my little shelf. I picked up the Book and my
Pocket Watch, wishing that I had pockets to put them in. The Book
was weird, but it was mine and I was happy to have it back. As it
was, I would just have to hold my reclaimed possessions.
    I turned to leave, knowing it was foolish to
dawdle. But glancing back once, taking in that space where I had
spent most of my life just one last time, I saw the hole in the
wall. The one Mousy had discovered what seemed like years ago and
where I’d felt something hard and smooth within.
    Stepping quickly to it and plunging my hand
inside, I rummaged around and felt it brush against that same,
strange object that it had before. It was like a pipe, though it
didn’t feel as smooth as metal and was somewhat sticky to the
touch.
    Gripping hard on it, I twisted it this way
and that, attempting to pull it loose. Not only did it prove
difficult to fit through the hole, but whatever stickiness covered
it seemed to hold it in place as if it were glued to the innards of
the wall. Gritting my teeth, bracing both feet against the wall, I
tugged with all of my might and felt it start to loosen.
    Breathing hard, I sat back to rest for a
moment. Mousy rustled encouragingly. Heartened, I reached back in
and pulled once more. There was a pop as the object broke loose
from its bonds. I turned it around a few times until it was at the
right angle to fit through the whole.
    Pulling it out, I can’t say I was surprised
when it turned out to be a human leg bone. Sticky with some kind of
gunk that looked suspiciously like dried blood, the bone was yellow
with age. It was like some gruesome remnant from a pharaoh’s tomb.
The blood, if it was blood, seemed to still be in the process of
drying. I held it in front of Mousy for inspection, and he looked
just as perplexed as I was.
    "Why are there bones in the walls?" I