Sequel&of&Mice&and&Men&

Rain%stroke%in%the%valley%and%town,%giving%it%a%dismal%appearance.%The%vibrant%
golden%foothills%of%Salinas%turned%to%a%dark%bronze%in%the%dark%and%gloomy%rain.%The%
dock,%where%Lennys%mutilated%corpse%lied,%had%been%soaked%with%salt%water.%Lennys%
body%did%not%react%to%the%heavy%rain%that%fell.%His%eyes%were%still%fixed%up%on%the%sky,%
innocently.%He%had%no%reaction,%but%the%utter%shock%that%his%one%and%only%friend%
killed%him.%His%wounded%remains,%started%to%bleed,%resulting%in%the%blood%being%
washed%in%the%rain,%giving%his%final%resting%point,%a%pool%of%blood.%The%forest%became%
especially%dark,%becoming%near%pitch%black.%The%trees%were%only%visible%if%one%was%
right%in%front%of%one.%The%town%was%stopped%their%daily%communes%to%go%home,%away%
from%the%crying%clouds.%What%was%left%was%a%ghost%town,%with%not%one%person%or%
animal%in%sight.%The%slight%pitterCpatter%of%the%rain%impacting%the%roofs,%made%a%
relaxing%sound,%very%calming%to%all%who%heard,%but%on%a%hellish%day.%
George%trudged%through%the%soaked%concrete%ground,%without%looking%once%at%
where%he%stepped.%His%clothes%were%completely%tattered,%and%stained%with%blood%
and%mud.%He%marched%with%the%gun%hidden%away%in%his%slouching%backpack.%His%eyes%
looked%as%if%he%saw%Hell%itself,%and%became%traumatized%as%a%result.%The%vigorous%
wind%blew%leaves%left%and%right,%but%that%did%not%seem%to%be%Georges%issue.%Slim%was%
right%by%George,%looking%much%of%the%opposite.%Slim%looked%very%relaxed,%standing%
upright%and%focused.%His%eyes%were%perched%like%a%hawk%on%his%prey,%on%the%sky.%The%
bar%was%now%a%yard%away,%but%George%still%did%not%react.%It%had%been%as%if%all%the%
emotion%from%him%had%been%taken%away.%He%inched%towards%the%bar%door,%as%his%legs%
became%heavier%with%each%step.%He%opened%the%creaking,%greyCblue%door,%only%to%see%
multiple%eyes%staring%at%him.%
He%and%Slim,%soused%in%water,%seated%themselves%in%a%leather,%mahogany%stool,%
with%metal%bars%attached%to%the%floor.%The%floor%was%made%of%rotted%wood,%and%so%
were%the%walls.%The%bar%had%not%been%mopped%in%years,%and%the%blanket%of%dust,%and%
dirty%footprints,%only%cemented%that%fact.%The%walls%were%even%more%sordid,%which%
resulted%in%a%greyCwhite%color,%that%would%be%gone%once%someone%were%to%wipe%it.%
There%were%half%a%dozen%people%in%the%bar,%and%consisting%of%Candy,%Slim,%George,%

Safavi, Irvin

Wednesday, November 5, 2014 at 2:31:24 PM Pacific Standard Time

70:56:81:a9:25:69

and%Curley.%There%were%all%spread%around%the%bar,%drinking%beer%and%talking%to%one%
another.%The%others%that%George%never%met%worked%on%the%barley%farm,%but%on%a%
different%region.%George%plopped%his%soggy%backpack%at%the%chair,%and%breathed%all%
the%air%around%him.%Slim%looked%at%him,%and%finally%spoke,%
You%did%the%right%thing,%George.%Slim%then%patted%him%on%the%back,%and%
snapped%his%fingers%towards%the%table%to%get%the%Bartenders%attention.%The%
bartender%turned%around%obediently,%like%a%dog%and%its%master.%%
Yes,%the%bartender%responded,%scratching%his%blood%marinated%moustache.%
Give%my%friend%here%a%Rolling%Rock%beer.%George%looked%up%from%the%floor%at%
the%bartender,%and%gave%an%abrupt%grin.%He%then%turned%his%stool%towards%Slim,%who%
held%his%shot%whiskey%in%gloved%hand,%and%scratched%his%tarnished%hair%with%the%
other.%His%dirtCcovered%face,%melted%in%the%rainwater%and%his%own%sweat.%Slim%looked%
down%at%his%friend,%and%finally%spoke,%%
We%could%bury%Lennys%corpse,%and%say%Lenny%ran%away%to%find%his%Aunt%
Clara.%George%shook%his%tired%head,%and%grabbed%his%beer.%George%gaped%open%his%
mouth%like%an%alligator,%showing%all%his%brown%teeth.%Curley%then%walked%into%the%
room%with%a%wicked%smile%on%his%face.%This%was%a%feint,%as%Curley%had%a%disdain%for%
George%and%Slim.%%His%eyes%were%directed%right%at%the%back%Georges%head.%He%sat%his%
body%onto%the%stool,%and%forcefully%turned%George%around%to%look%him%in%the%eyes.%
Curley%reached%over%the%bar%table,%to%steal%Slims%whiskey%bottle.%He%then%proceeded%
to%jug%the%entire%bottle,%without%any%modesty.%He%slammed%the%bottle%like%an%anchor,%
and%leaned%forward%at%George%to%scoff.%
I%got%to%thank%you%for%killin%that%ugly%bastard%for%me.%You%was%doin%us%all%a%
favor.%He%popped%in%some%potato%chips,%and%laughed,%while%chewing.%His%breath%
infested%Georges%with%the%smell%of%alcohol%and%stale%potato%chips.%George%squeezed%
the%bottle%angrily.%His%shoulders%tensed,%and%his%eyes%squinted.%He%lifted%his%bottle%
up,%and%looked%at%it%for%a%second%or%two,%then%slammed%on%Curleys%cheek.%The%bottle%
shattered,%upon%the%second%it%touched%Curleys%face.%The%fragmented%pieces%flew%in%
all%directions,%and%cutting%a%giant%laceration%on%skin,%blood%rained%down%his%face,%
much%like%the%rain.%Curley%screamed%like%pig%about%to%be%slaughtered.%He%ran%away%
from%the%raging%worker,%and%ran%out%the%door.%The%entire%bar%stared%at%the%now%

Safavi, Irvin

Wednesday, November 5, 2014 at 2:31:24 PM Pacific Standard Time

70:56:81:a9:25:69

infuriated%George.%George%got%out%of%seat,%and%took%out%his%gun.%He%looked%at%the%
silver%ends%and%handle.%The%silver%reflected%his%image%on%the%gun.%George%closed%his%
eyes,%and%marched%out%the%bar,%with%Slim%and%Candy%following.%
George%kept%walking,%not%once%looking%away%from%in%front%of%him,%instead%of%
wear%he%stepped.%His%eyes%looked%red,%and%yellow,%even%more%restless%then%before.%
The%lush%forest%George%treaded%through%was%barely%visible%in%the%rain,%but%George%
did%not%slow%down.%He%was%determined%to%do%something,%but%what?%He%stopped%at%a%
dock,%and%turned%around.%Slim%and%Candy,%out%of%breath,%stood%beside%Lennys%
corpse,%to%look%at%George.%Candy,%the%octogenarian,%fell%to%the%mudCriddled%floor,%to%
catch%his%breath.%George%pulled%out%the%silver%gun,%and%pointed%it%downward.%Slim%
took%a%step%and%talked%urgently,%%
George,%you%dont%need%to%do%THIS!%George%directed%his%eyes%at%Slim%and%
Candy,%but%slowly%inched%his%way%towards%the%edge%of%the%wooden%talk.%We%can%
handle%Lennys%death,%we%can%create%an%excuse%for%why%hes%gone,%for%our%boss.%
Do%you%really%think%I%can%escape%for%this?%He%pointed%his%gun%at%Lennys%
corpse,%to%show%what%he%referred%to.%I%cant%run%away%from%a%murder,%my%life%cannot%
be%the%same.%
It%can%be%if%you%listen%me,%Slim%stepped%onto%the%dock,%to%stop%George.%
George%held%the%gun%in%front%of%him,%pointed%at%Slims%knee,%and%pulled%the%trigger%to%
castigate%him.%At%an%instant,%the%enormous%BANG%resonated%throughout%the%forest,%
and%the%bullet,%at%the%same%time,%was%planted%into%his%knee.%Slim%fell%to%the%ground%
screaming%in%agony,%unable%to%move%his%leg.%George%looked%up%at%Candy,%who%was%
now%filled%horror.%
We%worked%our%perfunctory%jobs,%but%we%never%got%closer%to%the%dream%of%
affluence,%only%farther%away.%It%was%never%accessible%to%any%of%us%NOT%IN%THIS%
CESSPOOL%OF%TOWN!!!%Those%were%his%last%words,%before%he%pulled%the%trigger%on%
himself.%As%bullet%entered,%his%body%was%done;%he%fell%into%the%lake%at%the%bottom.%His%
last%words%were%motivated%by%not%only%the%death%of%Lenny,%but%by%his%hard%work,%
that%never%came%through.%He%killed%Lenny,%not%for%the%vengeance%of%Curleys%wife,%but%
so%Lenny%would%go%to%a%better%place.%George%knew%owning%a%farm%would%not%be%
possible,%so%he%lied%to%him%until%the%time%had%come.%George%took%his%own%life,%to%stop%

Safavi, Irvin

Wednesday, November 5, 2014 at 2:31:24 PM Pacific Standard Time

70:56:81:a9:25:69

the%same%fate.%This%because%sometimes%the%truth%is%not%good%enough,%sometimes%
people%need%to%lie%to%each%other%to%so%madness%does%not%take%place.%Candy,%Curley,%
and%a%crippled%Slim%went%to%look%at%what%happened.%
We%could%say%they%got%fired%and%ran%away,%suggested%Candy.%%
Lets%leave%this%topic%for%now,%Slim%stated%sliding%his%laying%body%across%the%
dock.%Curley%stared%at%the%drowned%corpse,%and%spoke:%
Thats%the%third%death%I%caused%this%year.%Candy%and%Slim%looked%confused,%%
What%was%the%third?%Slim%lifted%one%limb%ground%off%the%floor,%to%scratch%his%
head.%
George,%Lenny,%and%Lennys%Aunt%Clara.%
%
%
%
%
%
The%End%
%

Safavi, Irvin

Wednesday, November 5, 2014 at 2:31:24 PM Pacific Standard Time

70:56:81:a9:25:69