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It was a beautiful day. The birds were chirping, a soft breeze brushed over the valley, making the trees sway. The sound of horseshoes hitting the ground echoed through the ranch. Every once in a while it felt like this: no care in the world, no thinking about the future or necessities or what to do next. It was peaceful for once during this chaotic time. Unfortunately, this kind of peaceful quiet does not last long.
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George walked in the barn looking for Lennie but instead found a horrific sight. All the blood drained from George's face as he took in the sight of Lennie standing over Curley’s wife, but she wasn’t moving. She must be dead, George thought. George had been in the bunkhouse, because he refused to play horseshoes with the other men and he thought he could trust Lennie alone with the pups. Of course he was wrong.
“I’m so sorry George,” Lennie pleaded, “Please let me still tend to the rabbits.” George just stared at Lennie in disbelief.
“Why ain’t ya givin’ me hell George,” Lennie said.
“We gotta get out of here,” George said at last, “Now, Lennie, get off your ass.”
Lennie followed George out the back of the barn, confusion written all over his face but he went nonetheless.
“Where we goin’ George,” Lennie asked. George just stayed silent, muttering under his breath, and Lennie could only make out, “Stupid bastard,” and “What’s we gonna do now.” Guilt washed over Lennie, but he hadn’t truly understood what he had done, just the fact that George was upset.
“George,” Lennie asked, “Why’d we go out the back, George.” George stayed silent once again while they walked into the bunkhouse. Inside the bunkhouse, George quickly grabbed all his possessions and muttered to Lennie to do the same.
Once they gathered their bindles, George and Lennie walked out the backdoor of the bunkhouse, and they ran up the hills away from the only place they’ve been able to call home in an eternity.
---
“Eh, Curley come over here, it's your tramp of a wife,” Carlson shouted from inside the barn. Curley ran over and his face instantly reddened and his hands clenched into fists, which was a stark contrast to George's ghostly white face as he came into the barn.
Curley’s voice shook with anger as he choked out his words, “Who did this! I bet it was that son of a bitch.”
“George and Lennie ain’t here no more. I ain’t got no idea where they gone,” Candy remorsefully said.
Curley’s eyes scanned the barn as if George and Lennie were hiding there, but his eyes landed on Slim instead. Slim was uncharacteristically quiet, and when he locked eyes with Curley, he tipped his hat down to show his respects to Curley’s wife. Even though Slim didn’t support everything Curley’s wife did, she didn’t deserve death, no one does.
A burst of anger overcame Curley, “We gotta find those bastards. Carlson, get your gun, I’m gonna shoot whoever did this in the gut.”
---
After trekking for what felt like hours, George and Lennie reached the bank of the Salinas River.
“George, George what we gonna do now,” Lennie said.
“Lennie, gimme sec—” George started, but was cut off by Lennie.
“What we gonna do now, are we going to live off the fat o’ the land, can I still tend to the rabbits, George,” Lennie rambled. “George, what about Candy, what about him George, you promised. I’m sorry George, I couldn’t stay outta trouble. I tried, I really damn tried. I mess up everything," Lennie then started banging his head into his knees, “I mess up everythin’ George you should just leave me I’ll run into the caves George. If you want I’ll go now.”
“Lennie,” George cut in, “we should eat dinner,” George conveniently changed the subject distracting Lennie with food. George started to cut open the only can of beans they had left with his pocket knife, while Lennie attempted to start the fire.
“George! It’s not starting. George! Help!”
“You don’t have to yell, you crazy bastard. I’m right here,” George’s voice softened at the last sentence. “The logs are wet, Lennie. Go get new ones and I will help you start the fire,” George said almost kindly, which confused Lennie.
“George, why ain’t you givin’ me hell. I did a bad thing right George? I knew because you were upset but I ain’t sure now,” Lennie said.
“Lennie, eat your beans,” George said, changing the subject once again.
“I want some ketchup, George. Do ya have any.”
“No, Lennie. I don’t. Where ya think I’m gonna get ketchup in the middle of the valley.”
“Oh, ok,” Lennie muttered, and he and George went back to eating in silence.
Once they finished eating they spread out their bedrolls. “Goodnight, Lennie,” George said.
“Goodnigh’, George,” Lennie said and they both laid there looking at the stars. George was listening to the silence of nature, the owls hooting, the crickets chirping, the river lapping against the ground. Suddenly, something interrupted that silence.
“Tell me like you done before, George,” Lennie’s plea cut through the silence like a knife. Normally George could hear the excitement in Lennie’s voice, but right now it was pure desperation, like he needed George to tell the story, so George started.
“Guys like us, that work on ranches, are the loneliest guys in the world. They got no family. They don't belong no place. They come to a ranch an' work up a stake, and the first thing you know they're poundin' their tail on some other ranch. They ain't got nothing to look ahead to,” George said, trying to stay strong for Lennie, but having some gut-feeling that this conversation wouldn’t happen ever again.
“But not us,” Lennie cut in with a ridiculous grin on his face. Guilt rose in George’s stomach, but he quickly pushed it down.
“With us it ain’t like that,” George continued, “We got a future. We got somebody to talk to that gives a damn about us, Now, go to bed, Lennie,” George said.
“Ok, George,” Lennie muttered, and they fell into an uneasy sleep.
---
The sun rose softly over the valley, light glittering in the reflection of the Salinas River. Birds were chirping in a manner that sounded like talking. George was peaceful, not thinking about the future for once, and then he heard them.
“Come on. I think they’re up here!” Curley shouted.
“Slow down, Curley. You’re gonna burn yourself out, ” Slim said, but the tone in his voice implied he had tried this before and knew Curley wouldn’t listen.
"Yea, we been doin’ this all night,” Carlson complained for what George only assumed was the millionth time that night.
“Lennie! Lennie! Lennie get up. Lennie,” said George frantically, shaking Lennie awake
“What George,” Lennie mumbled, still half asleep until he could hear the rare desperation and fear in George’s voice. Only then did Lennie shoot straight up.
“What’s goin’ on George,” Lennie asked, George didn’t reply; he was too busy packing their things.
“Lennie listen to me,” George pleaded
Lennie interrupted with, “George. George what’s goin’ on”
“Lennie, listen to me,” George said, softer than last time. “You gotta hide Lennie, we ain't got much time. Go hide in the caves, stay quiet and wait for me.”
“I-I, what that doesn’t make sense,” Lennie said.
“Don’t forget, Lennie remember go hide in the caves and don’t make a sound, Lennie. Promise me!” The desperation was clear in George’s voice at this point.
“But George I-I’m sorry George. I know I did a bad thing, George,” Lennie was in tears at this point.
“Stop blubbering like a baby. I ain’t mad, Lennie. I never been mad, an’ I ain’t mad now. Just go please.”
Lennie ran off into the caves sniffling and George slowly came out with his hands up.
“Where’s that son of a bitch,” Curley spit out.
“George, just give it up. Where is he? We know he did” Slim said disappointment reeking in his voice about the entire situation.
“I don't know what ya talking about,” George started, “I killed your tart of a wife, Curley. She was asking for it.”
“George…” Slim said so quietly only George could hear.
“Lemme do this, Slim,” George whispered back.
Slim looked at George, really looked at George, and George knew that Slim understood why he had to do this. Why George could survive this but Lennie couldn't.
“I did it, Curley,” George shouted, “The bitch was tryin’ to touch me so I strangled her.”
“You bastard! You are going to pay for this,” Curley shouted, “I’m going to shoot you right in the gut.”
“Curley, be rational, let the cops deal with this,” Candy said, desperation creeping into his voice, but George ignored him and continued to talk.
“Your tramp of a wife didn’t even like you. She was going to leave you for the picture—” George was cut off by the deafening sound of a gunshot. Curley had shot George; a straight shot through the heart. Slim’s eyes flicked to George’s lifeless body that lay on the hard gravel ground dark blood pooled around him.
---
The sound of a gunshot echoed through the cave making Lennie flinch. He hoped George would come back. He hoped and hoped. Lennie waited in that cave curled up into a ball for hours waiting for George to come back. By dusk, Lennie had ventured out of the cave looking for George.
“George! George! There you are! I was waitin’ for so long! Why ya sleepin’ George,” Lennie was overjoyed at the sight of his friend, but his face fell when George was lifeless.
“Wake up George! Come on. I need ya George,” Lennie shook George’s dead body. George’s voice echoed through Lennie’s head, Go hide in the caves, stay quiet.
Lennie ran back to the caves with the delusional idea that maybe George will come back if Lennie goes back to the caves. Once he got back to the cave Lennie curled himself into a ball.
“Tell me like you done before, George,” Lennie said through sobs.
“Guys like us, that work on ranches, are the loneliest guys in the world. They got no family. They don't belong no place. They come to a ranch an' work up a stake, and the first thing you know they're poundin' their tail on some other ranch. They ain't got nothing to look ahead to,” Lennie said, imitating George's voice
“But not us,” Lennie said in his own voice, “Not us, we got each other. You got me and I got you. I promise, George.”