Hold me, love me, mourn me, kill me
George looked down at Lennie's lifeless body, the corner of his mouth still upturned in a foolish grin. His features were still soft and calm having being drowned in the sheer happiness of getting to live in a farm with George but his eyes had lost all it's colour and light.
"No," George whispered. His legs shook and he dropped to his knees. He looked at the gun that had took Lennie's life away from him, then flung it on to the ground and recoiled away from it with fear in his stormy blue eyes. George reached out a hand and touched Lennie's arm. He gathered Lennie into a tight hug and gently shook him as if he could summon some life back into the empty shell. A single tear found its way out of George's right eye and left a wet trail on his cheek. George angrily wiped it away. There is no way he was ever going to cry. Not for this. And yet, another tear followed the first and slipped out then fell on Lennie's grease covered denim jacket. And before George knew what was happening, he was bawling his eyes out leaning on Lennie's limp body. He didn't know how long he cried, what was actually a minute felt like a year.
"What have I done?" George squeezed Lennie's arm. He sobbed. Lennie had been the most important person in his life, as impossible as it is to admit it, George loved Lennie. Loved him like a brother. He hated this life, hated how he was a slave, living under it's control. He hated how it took Lennie from him.
"Ya crazy bastard," George muttered. He looked at Lennie through the layer of tears coating his eyes. "You just gotta snap her neck didn't ya. If you didn't…" A loud yell interrupted whatever George was going to say. It was close. Close enough to make George wince and hold the body of Lennie closer to him.
George flinched and forced his eyes shut. They reopened after a second of consideration, and icy determination replaced the fear and hesitation. As if he was in a daze, George gently lowered Lennie to the ground and picked up the gun from where it lay abandoned to his left.
"We're getting that place now Lennie. I promise." George raised the gun to his temple with steady hands. Getting closer and closer were the hooves of horses and the shouts and swearing of men. George closed his eyes one last time.
The sound of a single gunshot rolled up the hill and back down again.
