Some of the characters and refered to plots were not created by me, but John Stienbeck.
Dedication: I dedicate this story to Jed. She loves the mushy parts, but I doubt she could handle the blood.
George's Story: A continuation of Of Mice and Men
A small dark figure walked down the beaten road. The wind whistled through the trees and made an eerie sound. He shuddered and raised his collar to cover his neck. The wind whispered his name and he turned around to see if someone was following him. He sighed and went on his journey.
Down the road he came to a small town. Walking up to a small house at the edge, he paused and watched the light dance from within the windows. Sighing he headed into the house.
The light was bright and cheerful, and the room smelled of the fireplace. The sounds were welcoming cheers for he had been away for a long time, doing all he could for them. He had worked for five years and sent pay home so they could buy the house they had always dreamed of. Now he was home with his loving family by his side.
"Daddy," yelled the tiny boy. He had just learned to walk and was stumbling toward the figure in the doorway.
"Jake," said the smiling man, swinging his child through the air, and placing him in his arms. "I missed you so much. Where's your mother?"
"George?" a female voice rang out. From around the corner a beautiful woman appeared, smiling happily at her husband's arrival.
"We weren't expecting you until eight, and it's only seven." Her hazel eyes shown brightly in the loving room and he couldn't take his eyes away.
"Well then, maybe I should just leave and come back in an hour." He jokingly started to put Jake down. Then seeing the bewildered look in his wife's eyes, he smiled and kissed her lightly on the forehead. "You can't blame a man for wanting to see his family, now, can you?"
She hit him playfully in the arm and went back into the kitchen to finish cooking dinner.
"Boy, your ma's a regular beauty, ain't she?"
Jake smiled, happy to be in his father's arms. He grabbed his father's hat and placed on his own head, then giggled loudly. George joined in the laughter, tickling his son softly.
He set his boy down, and took off his coat, and hung it near the door. He pried the hat away from Jake's grasping hands, and it too was placed on a hook near the door.
He walked over to the washing basin, with Jake following close behind. Pouring out the cool water he cleaned his small, strong hands.
"Supper's ready," rang the sweet voice of his wife. He quickly picked up Jake and headed for the kitchen.
"We're coming. You'd better have enough 'cause I could eat a horse."
In the light of the moon a darkness loomed over the house. A small figure slowly crept toward it. Its dark arm reached out and opened the cellar door. Quietly, stepping inside, it vanished within.
As the sun came up in the morning, George looked over at his wife, who was sleeping peacefully.
"I love you, and I'd do anything for you," he whispered softly into her ear.
She stretched and a smile came to her lips as he reached over and kissed them. She wrapped her arms around him and ran her long, slender fingers through his dark hair as she whispered, "I love you too. Why can't you stay in today. You could do your chores tomorrow."
"I want to, but you know I can't do that." He smiled lovingly and kissed her again.
Hand in hand they got up and walked over to Jake's crib.
"He looks so peaceful, don't he George?"
"Sure does. Wish he could stay that way forever, but we all know they gotta grow up sometime."
She hit him playfully again on the arm. Her head shook from side to side and she smiled as she headed toward the kitchen to make breakfast. George smiled lovingly as his eyes followed her out the room; then he turned to his baby boy. Lovingly, he watched him sleep for awhile, then turned to get dressed for the day.
The morning light filled the kitchen with brilliant light, and George sneaked up behind his wife and kissed her cheek.
"I could smell those pancakes from the bedroom. They sure smell good." His finger reached for the batter.
"George Milton!" she yelled as her spoon came down hard on his hand.
"Ow," he yelled, pulling back his wounded hand and nurturing it.
"Well, you just stay away when I'm cooking. You got your work and I got mine."
Her voice was stern and serious, but a sweet smile came to her lips, which brought one to the face of the cowering man.
"I have to go and do my chores," George said as he turned for the door. "I'll be back in no time at all. Don't you go nowhere."
"That man lives like there's no tomorrow." She shook her head again and let out a sigh.
Walking out the front door, he heard her light footsteps behind him. He turned to her with questioning eyes.
"Don't look at me as if I can't even leave the house, George Milton. Can't a woman go to her own cellar to get some canned peaches for her husband's cobbler?"
George's smile grew tremendously big.
"I love peach cobbler."
"I know," she said teasingly.
As George walked away she went along the side the house. He started walking faster to hurry up his chores. When he was a full two hundred yards away, he heard a faint sound from the distance. His body tensed as he heard the scream of his wife again. He turned around and ran back, his heart beating frantically in his chest.
He threw open the screen door and let it slam behind him. In a frantic rage, his eyes squinted as they surveyed the dark room . He heard a muffled scream coming from the bedroom. He ran to the doorway to find his wife tied to a chair and gagged. Shocked and scared he stepped into the room and saw Jake being held in the arms of man dressed fully in black. He wore a black bandanna high around his head to conceal his face.
"Please, leave him alone. Don't hurt them. I'll do anything," George pleaded with the dark figure.
"All these years I tracked you down," the masked man blurted out. "I know you had something to do with it. I know you did."
"What are you talking about?" George was entirely confused and frustrated. The voice of the man was threatening yet familiar.
The man set down Jake harshly on the bed and yelled, "You don't even remember? Typical of scum like you , you damn bastard. Well, I remember, and I've come for revenge. You had a part in taking what was precious to me, so I'll take what's precious to you." He reached for his pocket and pulled out a pistol. He pointed it toward Jake. "Should he be first, or your lovely wife." He squinted with hatred in his eyes. Then his voice became polite, yet stern. "Oh, how could I forget my manners. Ladies first." He headed toward George's wife.
George lunged at the man and knocked him to his knees. The gun went flying across the room onto the bed. As the two men struggled frantically around on the floor, Jake peered down at the shiny new toy that had landed within inches of him. His mother's eyes grew big as she watched him pick it up into his innocent hands.
George managed to pull down the bandanna from the visitor's face. As he did this the hat flew off and revealed the brown face and tightly curled hair.
"Curley," he shouted as he moved his body away.
In this moment of freedom Curley got up and lunged for the gun in Jake's hand. Seeing the action, George instinctively reached out and grabbed Curley's foot. Curley lost his balance and fell directly onto Jake and the gun. A sickening explosion rang out and George and his wife both gasped. George quickly got to his feet and rushed over to the bed. He heard no sound from Jake. He rolled Curley's bleeding corpse off the bed, which left a swamp of blood. Jake's body lie directly in the middle, stained with the red liquid. George lifted the boy and held him close.
"Oh, my God," said George as tears streamed down his face.
He glanced over at his wife, who still tied to the chair, tried to get up to see her baby.
He clung close to his son as he untied his wife. As all three rushed to the doctor,
the wagon bounced heavily on the rough road. As they pulled up, George rushed wife inside with Jake in her arms. As she ran in, she handed her baby over to the doctor.
"Oh Lord, what happened?" asked the nurse.
"We were attacked and while I was fighting, Jake got hold of the gun." George answered frantically. He reached over and held his wife's hand.
Then sputtering, the small body coughed and George smiled through his tears. His wife rushed to her son. George stood by his family. With thankfulness and compassion he put his arms around them.
Kissing his baby on the forehead he said softly, "I love you all."
Dedication: I dedicate this story to Jed. She loves the mushy parts, but I doubt she could handle the blood.
George's Story: A continuation of Of Mice and Men
A small dark figure walked down the beaten road. The wind whistled through the trees and made an eerie sound. He shuddered and raised his collar to cover his neck. The wind whispered his name and he turned around to see if someone was following him. He sighed and went on his journey.
Down the road he came to a small town. Walking up to a small house at the edge, he paused and watched the light dance from within the windows. Sighing he headed into the house.
The light was bright and cheerful, and the room smelled of the fireplace. The sounds were welcoming cheers for he had been away for a long time, doing all he could for them. He had worked for five years and sent pay home so they could buy the house they had always dreamed of. Now he was home with his loving family by his side.
"Daddy," yelled the tiny boy. He had just learned to walk and was stumbling toward the figure in the doorway.
"Jake," said the smiling man, swinging his child through the air, and placing him in his arms. "I missed you so much. Where's your mother?"
"George?" a female voice rang out. From around the corner a beautiful woman appeared, smiling happily at her husband's arrival.
"We weren't expecting you until eight, and it's only seven." Her hazel eyes shown brightly in the loving room and he couldn't take his eyes away.
"Well then, maybe I should just leave and come back in an hour." He jokingly started to put Jake down. Then seeing the bewildered look in his wife's eyes, he smiled and kissed her lightly on the forehead. "You can't blame a man for wanting to see his family, now, can you?"
She hit him playfully in the arm and went back into the kitchen to finish cooking dinner.
"Boy, your ma's a regular beauty, ain't she?"
Jake smiled, happy to be in his father's arms. He grabbed his father's hat and placed on his own head, then giggled loudly. George joined in the laughter, tickling his son softly.
He set his boy down, and took off his coat, and hung it near the door. He pried the hat away from Jake's grasping hands, and it too was placed on a hook near the door.
He walked over to the washing basin, with Jake following close behind. Pouring out the cool water he cleaned his small, strong hands.
"Supper's ready," rang the sweet voice of his wife. He quickly picked up Jake and headed for the kitchen.
"We're coming. You'd better have enough 'cause I could eat a horse."
In the light of the moon a darkness loomed over the house. A small figure slowly crept toward it. Its dark arm reached out and opened the cellar door. Quietly, stepping inside, it vanished within.
As the sun came up in the morning, George looked over at his wife, who was sleeping peacefully.
"I love you, and I'd do anything for you," he whispered softly into her ear.
She stretched and a smile came to her lips as he reached over and kissed them. She wrapped her arms around him and ran her long, slender fingers through his dark hair as she whispered, "I love you too. Why can't you stay in today. You could do your chores tomorrow."
"I want to, but you know I can't do that." He smiled lovingly and kissed her again.
Hand in hand they got up and walked over to Jake's crib.
"He looks so peaceful, don't he George?"
"Sure does. Wish he could stay that way forever, but we all know they gotta grow up sometime."
She hit him playfully again on the arm. Her head shook from side to side and she smiled as she headed toward the kitchen to make breakfast. George smiled lovingly as his eyes followed her out the room; then he turned to his baby boy. Lovingly, he watched him sleep for awhile, then turned to get dressed for the day.
The morning light filled the kitchen with brilliant light, and George sneaked up behind his wife and kissed her cheek.
"I could smell those pancakes from the bedroom. They sure smell good." His finger reached for the batter.
"George Milton!" she yelled as her spoon came down hard on his hand.
"Ow," he yelled, pulling back his wounded hand and nurturing it.
"Well, you just stay away when I'm cooking. You got your work and I got mine."
Her voice was stern and serious, but a sweet smile came to her lips, which brought one to the face of the cowering man.
"I have to go and do my chores," George said as he turned for the door. "I'll be back in no time at all. Don't you go nowhere."
"That man lives like there's no tomorrow." She shook her head again and let out a sigh.
Walking out the front door, he heard her light footsteps behind him. He turned to her with questioning eyes.
"Don't look at me as if I can't even leave the house, George Milton. Can't a woman go to her own cellar to get some canned peaches for her husband's cobbler?"
George's smile grew tremendously big.
"I love peach cobbler."
"I know," she said teasingly.
As George walked away she went along the side the house. He started walking faster to hurry up his chores. When he was a full two hundred yards away, he heard a faint sound from the distance. His body tensed as he heard the scream of his wife again. He turned around and ran back, his heart beating frantically in his chest.
He threw open the screen door and let it slam behind him. In a frantic rage, his eyes squinted as they surveyed the dark room . He heard a muffled scream coming from the bedroom. He ran to the doorway to find his wife tied to a chair and gagged. Shocked and scared he stepped into the room and saw Jake being held in the arms of man dressed fully in black. He wore a black bandanna high around his head to conceal his face.
"Please, leave him alone. Don't hurt them. I'll do anything," George pleaded with the dark figure.
"All these years I tracked you down," the masked man blurted out. "I know you had something to do with it. I know you did."
"What are you talking about?" George was entirely confused and frustrated. The voice of the man was threatening yet familiar.
The man set down Jake harshly on the bed and yelled, "You don't even remember? Typical of scum like you , you damn bastard. Well, I remember, and I've come for revenge. You had a part in taking what was precious to me, so I'll take what's precious to you." He reached for his pocket and pulled out a pistol. He pointed it toward Jake. "Should he be first, or your lovely wife." He squinted with hatred in his eyes. Then his voice became polite, yet stern. "Oh, how could I forget my manners. Ladies first." He headed toward George's wife.
George lunged at the man and knocked him to his knees. The gun went flying across the room onto the bed. As the two men struggled frantically around on the floor, Jake peered down at the shiny new toy that had landed within inches of him. His mother's eyes grew big as she watched him pick it up into his innocent hands.
George managed to pull down the bandanna from the visitor's face. As he did this the hat flew off and revealed the brown face and tightly curled hair.
"Curley," he shouted as he moved his body away.
In this moment of freedom Curley got up and lunged for the gun in Jake's hand. Seeing the action, George instinctively reached out and grabbed Curley's foot. Curley lost his balance and fell directly onto Jake and the gun. A sickening explosion rang out and George and his wife both gasped. George quickly got to his feet and rushed over to the bed. He heard no sound from Jake. He rolled Curley's bleeding corpse off the bed, which left a swamp of blood. Jake's body lie directly in the middle, stained with the red liquid. George lifted the boy and held him close.
"Oh, my God," said George as tears streamed down his face.
He glanced over at his wife, who still tied to the chair, tried to get up to see her baby.
He clung close to his son as he untied his wife. As all three rushed to the doctor,
the wagon bounced heavily on the rough road. As they pulled up, George rushed wife inside with Jake in her arms. As she ran in, she handed her baby over to the doctor.
"Oh Lord, what happened?" asked the nurse.
"We were attacked and while I was fighting, Jake got hold of the gun." George answered frantically. He reached over and held his wife's hand.
Then sputtering, the small body coughed and George smiled through his tears. His wife rushed to her son. George stood by his family. With thankfulness and compassion he put his arms around them.
Kissing his baby on the forehead he said softly, "I love you all."