A/N- I've written this for my English homework. I really don't like Of Mice and Men but I do like the relationship between Lennie and George.
All rights belong to John Steinbeck (and me for the idea)
Memento Mori
George sighed sorrowfully as he sat down next to Lennie. Taking his hat of his head, he set it next to him and closed his eyes, thinking of times passed. Times where he could watch Lennie smile his ever so happy and dopey smile that would light up the surrounding world. His eyes that saw the world so differently than others twinkling with childish innocence.
George sighed again and opened his eyes, raising them to the heavens.
"Such a crazy bastard, Lennie." He muttered, wiping a mud-stained and calloused hand across his now damp face. George lay back on the dewy grass, his eyes glazing over as scenes from his and Lennie's past rushed by them as if on a never-ending film reel.
George's thoughts halted on a particular memory. A rather bittersweet memory, but a vital one. The one that led to him sitting there, next to his travelling companion, with only the silent wildlife for company. Even the birds had ceased their cheerful chirping maybe they were in mourning too. George shut his heavy lids, slowly sinking down into the memory of the girl in the red dress and how they ran, oh how they ran.
"Lennie!" George cried sharply, one hand resting on his hip, the other holding a heavy looking sack over his shoulder. "For God's sakes Lennie, hurry up! If we're late then we're out of a job! An bein' out of a job means no rabbits!"
Lennie raised his head from where he was playing with the colourful beans at a rundown market stall a few feet behind, and looked at George beseechingly.
"Bu' George! These beans are happy! Please, George, le'me stay for jus a while longer!"
As he spoke, he ran the bright legumes through his clumsy fingers, as if they where some kind of bean rainbow. George gritted his teeth in annoyance.
"Lennie, you can see the peas or whatever they are after we've delivered the sack to this Mr. Wassisface."
Not wanting to disapoint George, Lennie stumbled to catch up with his shorter friend.
"Ok, George. If you promise."
"I promise, now we need to hurry up! Come on, Lennie."
The oddly matched pair trudged along the crowded streets of Weed, Lennie accidently bumping into people and George apologizing to them profusely for his larger friend. As they made their way out into the main square which was slightly more open and easier to navigate around, Lennie spotted a flash of red. Lennie lunged for the red thing desperately as it started to move away. It was such a mesmerizing shade of the bloody colour and it had hypnotized Lennie.
As his thick fingers latched onto the elusive red, a shrill scream pierced the air and George snapped around, looking desperately for his absent-minded friend who had seemingly vanished. The screams continued and the crowds parted so George could see what was happening at the center of the square. Alarm bells sounded in his cautious head as he took in the scene before him.
A young girl, no older than perhaps twelve, was writhing to get out of the tight grip that Lennie had on her velvet red dress. The crowd was shouting profanities at Lennie, hurling bottles and food at him in an attempt to get the large man off of the traumatized girls dress.
This just made him cling on tighter, his eyes wide and frightened by the sudden abuse being hurled his way just like a rabbit caught in the headlights.
"LENNIE!" George yelled in horror. " LENNIE GET AWAY FROM THA' GIRL!"
Lennie's face cleared at the sound of Georges voice.
"Bu George! It's so pretty an' soft!" He replied, rubbing his face against the girls dress. The girl was sobbing now, and the surrounding people had started yelling things like: "STRING THA' PERV UP!" and "HE SHOULD BE KILLED HE SHOULD, HE'S TO DANGEROUS TO BE LEFT ALIVE!"
George moved forward and desperately started pulling Lennie away from the child. He finally let go, the dress splitting up the side. George crouched down next to Lennie and whispered in his ear.
"We gotta run, Lennie!" He murmered frantically. "We gotta run far away from here!"
Lennie merely nodded his aquiesence and together they ran, Lennie using his brute strength and height to barral through the furious crowd, George not far behind.
Collapsing next to George on the hard worn path, Lennie turned to ask him a question.
"George… Why did we hav'ta run?"
George looked down at his folded hands, pondering what to tell him.
"If we had' a stayed… if we had' a stayed; then we wouldn't be able to have the rabbits Lennie. You can't keep rabbits in a place like Weed. An' we wouldn't have been able to live Of The Fatta The Lan." He explained slowly. Lennie nodded his head as if he understood but George knew he didn't. "It's because I got you, and you got me. We take care of each other and that place was dangerous."
Lennie just nodded again and smiled at George dopely. George simply sighed and smiled back.
The memory stopped and George slowly picked up his hat and got to his feet. The sun was starting to sink behind the mountains, casting ominous shadows to the previously bright and happy stretch of land. With a trail of tears leaking from the corner of his eyes, George carfully placed a piece of bright red velvet on top of the grave he had been sitting next to. As he started to leave and make his way back up to the ranch, he spotted two rabbits, one small and one large, venture out of the bushes and start aimlessly hopping around the unmarked grave. George gave a watery grin and started to walk back up the dusty path. One small man walking a lonely road beside a giant, stumbling shadow of grief and guilt.