It was beautiful. Everything Lennie had ever hoped for. More than he had ever imagined.
The field stretched on for what seemed like forever: trees filled with fruit and beautiful flowers all around. The sky above was cloudless, and shone a brilliant blue. In the middle of it all stood a little wooden house; small, simple, and overall perfect. Behind it a bright red barn and across from that a small vegetable garden. There were animals everywhere, all animals great and small.
Horses, cows, pigs, chickens, rabbits... rabbits! George ran to them and picked one up at gently as he could. It was softer than anything he'd ever felt. When he pet it, it didn't struggle or go stiff, as things often did in his strong grasp. Instead the rabbit pressed up against him savoring his touch. Lennie smiled and pressed the animal to his chest in a soft embrace.
Everything just seemed so perfect, yet Lennie felt something was missing... And then he realized it was George. George was missing.
"George..." Lennie whispered to himself, remembering his friend. He remember his last conversation with George, where they had talked about finding a place just like this. Lennie tried to remember what happened after that conversation, how he arrived in the fascinating place that surrounded him, but all that he could remember was a brief sharp pain in the back of his head and a loud bang... none of it made sense to him.
"George!" he called out, feeling suddenly apprehensive about the sudden disappearance of his friend."George!"
As Lennie began to search for his friend a gentle hand reached out touched his shoulder and someone spoke to him in a calm reassuring voice.
"Don't be afraid, Lennie. George will be with you soon, I promise. For now, I want you to stay here and live out your dream. That's what George would want. George will join you before long."
Lennie smiled and picked up a bag of alfalfa, knowing that he would see George again soon.
And soon enough he did. When George appeared at the edge of the field, Lennie ran to him and help him in a tight embrace, lifting him off the ground. George was never very affectionate, so Lennie was surprised when George wrapped his arms around him and returned the embrace. George didn't quite understand where he was but felt overjoyed to see his friend again.
"Look, George!" Lennie said when he finally let go, and gestured to the farm behind him. "It's jus' like you always promised me we'd do."
George looked around with wide eyes. It was everything he had aspired for and more.
"Look, George!" Lennie exclaimed pulling him over to the rabbit hutches. "There's rabbits jus' like you said there would an' I feed 'em alfalfa every day." George picked up a rabbit. "They're softer than anything I've ever felt, George an' I can pet 'em as much as I want an' then don't get kilt! Ain't one of 'em ever got kilt."
George smiled looking up at his friend. He always knew that if there was a place like this, Lennie would end up there, but he never imagined himself joining him. Somehow he saw himself going in the opposite direction.
"It's jus' like you always said, George." Lennie reminisced. "There a garden over there," Lennie pointed, "so we can live of the fatta the lan' remember how you used to tell how it was gon' be. Now, it's all come true because I have you..."
"An' I have you, Lennie." George embraced his friend one more, tears moistening his eyes.
He then turned to behold a dream come true. His dream. Lennie's dream. Their dream together.
Maybe not all plans go awry. George thought. Maybe not all dreams fail. Maybe the end isn't just grief and pain after all.