By Nick Schmidt

A short narrative of the memoirs of William of NIMHmuck; a good little read and introduction to Nick's character.

I am William Greystoke, a mouse that has been pushed over the edge by this
horrible, but strangely beautiful place. Everyday my mind deteriorates a little
bit more, I was once a brilliant surgeon and doctor, now I am reduced to this
pitiful form, not fit to even be called a mouse. To anymouse who may find this
entry in the future, let it be known that a sane man wrote this, though his
sanity was limited. I am writing this journal mainly for my son David, who is
merely a babe now. I hope you find this my son. I feel that I must write this
history down because my mind is diseased, I fear that even if I do live, that
all this information will be lost forever. I blame those damn humans for everything,
if they hadn't tinkered with us in the first place I could be normal and
enjoying my life. Instead, here I am, just barely able to scrape by each day, I
hate them all!

I can only recount from oral history about my grandfather, he wrote a diary
of his own, as did my father. Unfortunately, both diaries were destroyed in a
fire. My two best friends, Xavier and Casca betrayed me and themselves in the
same blow, when they tried to kill me in that fire. They were smart rats, sent
by NIMH, specifically to befriend then betray me, I'm sure of it. NIMH knows
where I am and they want me, I don't know why, but I feel it, in all the
betrayers out here that I have sensed, they are all out to get me, Why?! Those
two so called 'friends' of mine, burned to death in their own fire fused to
catch me. In the process brutally killing an innocent maid named Katrina and
her child by the name of David(whom I named my son after), fathered by
Nimholio, and an innocent bartender named Alfred who was resting at my house.
All the records of my family were destroyed, but not my medicine books. David,
the books now belong to you. I also leave a word of advice, never be overly
trusting, for it can lead to your own downfall.

I remember hearing of my grandfather from my father, back when I was young
and could not read well. Grandfather was one of the lucky few who were born
normal, never to know the plights of intelligence to befall their kind. There
were no professions to be had, no abilities to be trained, except that of basic
survival. Then came the humans and their horrid trucks, in one scoop of a net
grandfather's life changed immensely. His days of free life were gone, only
days of torturous intelligence lay ahead. Grandfather was no longer a simple,
uncaring mouse, he was now the experiment of some sadistic humans.

Grandfather was taken to a laboratory, put in a cage and observed for months
on end. The human gave him injections, Grandfather was known as 'Test Subject
A', NIMH was now his ruler and the harbinger of his fate. The humans called
themselves scientists, when all they did was torture and kill small animals for
no reason, they are murderers, nothing more. Grandfather's intelligence rose
greatly over the first few months of injections, even more than the scientists
were expecting. In three months time Grandfather had figured out what the
scientists were doing to him as well as why they were doing it. The humans
approved of the progress which was being shown and decided it was time to give
their test subject a mate.

After a few days the humans placed a female mouse into grandfather's cage,
who would in a few years become my grandmother. Grandfather and his new mate
were the only two out of the many mice caught which survived the injections.
The human must have known that he would be working with these mice for a while
because he named them. He named the mice after his own children, Daniel and
Antonia. The mice had become very intelligent and could talk between each other
freely. Less than four months of being taken around the lab, an escape plan was
devised. The lock on the cage that held my grandparents was faulty, this
mistake allowed their escape to where fiberglass was exposed in a wall, which
was easily torn open. When morning came, all the humans had to work with was an
empty cage and torn fiberglass, the mice were gone. Grandfather was able to
outsmart those cruel beasts at their own game.

I feel that my mind has started to fail and my time is short, so I must
hurry to write this. After his escape my grandfather lived with his mate,
moving around until they met up with a small colony of mice, who turned out
also to be intelligent. They lived with the colony for many years, as
grandfather rose through the ranks, his family grew. Seven years into their
stay my grandparents became the leaders of the colony. By the time
grandfather's control of the colony was complete the couple had spawned three
mouselings. Uncle Daniel was the oldest, born soon after their arrival to the
colony, and was now seven years old, he was destined to be grandfather's
favorite, and one day would rule the colony that which his father ruled at the
time. The other living children came as a set of twins, Aunt Laura and Uncle
Bruce. Aunt Laura, from what I have heard was an innocent girl, who was born
into a cruel and harsh world. Then there was Uncle Bruce, the only one of my
uncles I ever met, let alone got to know. He was a cool mouse, very outgoing
and incredibly adept at dealing with women, he was and still is my idol, he was
also my fathers' best friend.

Grandfather turned out to be a good leader, but not an overly smart one, he
was too brave, and went out on too many scouting missions. Eight years after he
arrived at the colony, and only one year into his leadership grandfather went
out on a scouting mission, and never returned. This incident left the colony in
control of an eight year old boy, and sent grandmother into seclusion. The
colony would survive through the turmoil, because Daniel, even at his young age
turned out to be a great leader. Unfortunately, grandmother was never heard
from again, she had taken her young son Alexander and disappeared forever.

For ten years the colony managed to stay together, the only problem that
occurred was the insanity of a few of the ranking members. My father came back
into an unfriendly world, which became even worse after he told the colony of
Antonia's death, they shunned and ignored him for the time he lived there. The
only person who spoke to my father was uncle Bruce, who bonded with my father
in eternal friendship. Father found that there had been bad craziness in the
colony after Daniel and Antonia's deaths. Many mice had killed themselves or
died from fighting meaningless battles with passers by. Others had gone mad and
were put to death, and some just left the colony all together, there was
definitely evil in the air. In one instance, a group of young adventurous mice
decided they could do better somewhere else, and aunt Laura went with them. The
adventure was destined for doom, for not one person was ever seen alive again.
A month after my father appeared, the colony came to a decision, it was time to
make a move. The colony was ready to move within the month and uncle Daniel was
their leader.

My father was forced to stay behind, along with him uncle Bruce decided it
would be best if he stayed to help with the young boys' life. Daniel agreed and
the colony abandoned the two mice, neither would ever see or hear of Daniel
again. That event began my father's long journey for a home and a colony. Uncle
Bruce and dad traveled all over the land, they stopped at every colony they
came across, hoping to find more of their kind. Every once in a while they
would come across a colony doctor, leader, or member who was intelligent, each
one they met added another member to their colony and more strength to their
team. With each person they gained, a colony was lost, but the others were all
normal mice, so who cares. I used to think normal mice were lucky for not being
intelligent, I even used to envy them, but now I see that they are useful only
in entertainment and death. I myself find entertainment in killing them, I met
one the other day and sliced him from nave to chops and I loved it, it felt
good!

My father learned from Bruce as time went on, he learned how to be a womanizer,
and the basics of leadership. Dad used the basics and improved on them, in time
he was able to lead his colony to safety under the floorboards of a human
library, where they found safety, food, and learning devices. While dad was
busy leading the colony, Bruce was up to his normal tricks of trying to pick up
all the females that he could. I truly admire his drive in life. And from what
I saw of uncle Bruce, I am pretty sure that he did succeed in that.

Ten years had passed since dad was that lonely ten year old boy in a dying
colony. Now he was leading a super intelligent mouse colony of his own, the
world is a crazy place. Bruce coaxed my father into trying some of what he was
famous at, which was of course picking up women. He encouraged my father to go
for four or five, Bruce claimed that it widens your selection. My father from
what I understand grudgingly agreed, and tried out his tactics on a mouse named
Shannon, who in under a month became my mother, to my fathers' obvious dismay.
Into his second year of rule, my father sired a set of twins, which was around
twenty years ago. There was a boy and a girl, they named them Ashley and
William. Ashley was a wild child, she craved adventure and fighting as she was
growing up, and my parents had no real control over her. While I tended to stay
more to myself. When I was no where around, people could always find me in the
human library, learning their writing and their medicine, which interested me
greatly. I had no real connection with anyone in my family, I never really
spoke with my mother, and my father was always too busy leading the colony. So
I spent my time in engrossed in my books and studies. I only tried to play with
my sister once, all I managed to get from the little pain in the ass was three
deep scars on my left forearm. A never-ending reminder of having a sibling, I
must say.

My father wanted a name for his colony, and did not have time to figure one
out, so I suggested Greystoke from a book I once read, he agreed. I assimilated
Greystoke as my last name for when I got out in the world. By the time I was
fifteen I had became a staple of the community I was the so-called healer of
the Greystoke colony. My father was a great leader, but not a great father,
finally on my sixteenth birthday he walked into a trap, literally. Father
walked right into a human mousetrap, it killed him straight out. I had no
mourning to do but that required of a colony member which lost his leader.
Mother was so disgusted by my actions she left and took my twin with her, I
have never seen that ungrateful woman again. Bruce then took me under his wing
and taught me all his great talents, he treated me as a son.

When I turned eighteen uncle Bruce lead the colony away from the humans to
where I do not know. His was the hardest good-bye that I ever gave in my life,
he was like a father to me. I have not seen or heard from uncle Bruce or any of
his seven wives again, I just hope that he lives a happy and fruitful life,
wherever he may be. I stayed at the library another few months after the colony
had left, because I decided it would be best to copy the medical encyclopedias
into smaller books so I could use them if I needed them in the future. I left
the colony as William Greystoke, the doctor, looking forward to the new life
that awaited me in the outside world. Oh what a fool I was!

I found this land about one and a half years ago, while still eighteen. Life
was sure great back then. It wasn't foul and stagnant as it would become in
time. I met two very unique travelers on my way here, a one eyed rabbit looking
for a home named Hawkbit, and a battle scarred, Scandinavian rat named Sven. We
became best of friends on they way to this place, they even helped me build my
house and herbalist lab. My home is a grand sight, but evil can be sensed in
it's essence. Hawkbit went away from me, and in due time disappeared like
everyone else in my life. As for Sven, I stayed with him until his dying minute
when he died because he was gored by a hawk in Electra's forces. Sven's death occurred
in the battle to save Darian and Jonathan, two very nice local mice.

This place, although its evil nature, did treat me well when I first
arrived. I was welcomed as a healer and my intelligence was highly praised. The
healer at the time I arrived was a bat named Gemini, he treated me well, and
taught me many things. Son, if you are ever in need of companionship go to
Kaa's, it is where I met your mother and conducted my business, it is the only
good thing in this rotten and evil country. I met my mate named Paula in that
same place, before I became what I am now, a poor insane man. I married quickly
and put my patients before her wants and needs. Even when she had our
mouselings Samantha and David, I was cruel and uncaring to her and I hope one
day she will forgive me. I can't take the strain of this place anymore, the
constant injuries, the senseless battles, it's all too much! I once even had a
mouse named Darshak almost get his head torn off, for no good reason, over a
petty squabble. This place is far too much for my mind to handle, I must leave
it somehow. I lost my house because of those bastard rats and now I am losing
my mind by my own hands. I am positive that NIMH wants me dead, I know to much
to go on living, they are making me crazy!

I leave this family history to you my son, and to whoever else may be
interested. I pray that you do not become like your father. This is a fate that
I wish upon no man, but myself. I am a cold hearted bastard and deserve to die.
I have heard people say that "It is better to have lived once, than to
never have lived at all" I wish I never had lived, for then this wouldn't
be happening. I leave this entry as a sane man about to go over the edge once
and for all. I hope that my son does not have to ever see the bad craziness
that I have seen within these twenty years of my life. This has been the last
entry of the mouse which was once known as Doctor William Greystoke, for no
true parts of him shall live in this infested mind for too much longer.
Good-bye my son and please if you find this entry use it for your own good.
With this information you can be unlike your family and live a long life. I
wish everyone only the best, I leave my heart to Samantha and Paula, but I
leave my experience to you David.

--William
Greystoke