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Next Chapter in of Mice and Men

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Of Mice and Men
Chapter 7, by Kristen Randall

The sun began to sink into the night over the land and all was quiet. There was not a bird to be heard chirping nor a cricket heard humming. A river in the distance could not be heard flowing for it sat still, still as dead leaves in a windless fall. The lowering sun cast a shadow of the day over a broken worn man as he stepped quietly into a bar driven only by misery.
“He didn't deserve it,” George mumbled into his empty whiskey glass, “Didn't even know what he was doing.”
“That woman is the one to blame,” Slim replied, “The dumb girl should have know better than to go poking her nose into another man's business.” Slim sighed, “Aint no need for her being in the barn, aint no need for her talking to any man but her own.
“Didn't deserve a thing,” George continued, “Man had never done anything to intentionally hurt even the smallest mouse, didn't judge or hate anyone.” George began to laugh “Hell, at least now I don't got to worry about anyone but myself. I can take my pay at the end of every month and go stay at a cat house.” He laughed harder, “Hell maybe I'll even be able to get myself a girl! Now that I aint got no stupid bastard lingering behind me anymore.” George began to weep “At least one of my dreams came true.”
Tears hit the wooden floor as George sobbed and sobbed. The first ray of moonlight shone through a window onto Slim's hanging head. An old gentleman who's face could not be seen sat in a corner making no movements at all. A mouse scurried across the bar before the bartender crushed it with his own fist, “Damn rats, nasty things they are.”
“Yeah, nasty things they are,” George cleared his throat, “I'll throw that away for you.”
The bartender waved him off, “Oh no sir thats fi-” but George had already scooped the mouse up and walked away.
George looked down at the little thing, lifeless in his hand. The thing died so fast it probably didn't even know what hid him. George thought to himself, didn't even feel a thing. He pet the thing, it was soft, softer than fresh moss on the first day of spring. “Nasty things they are.” He dropped the mouse at his feet and began to walk away from the bar.
As George approached the farm he began to realize how cold it was outside, hadn't been cold like this in months. George packed all of his things and went into the barn to grab a few other things he needed for his journey. He left the farm, walking by Curly, “Where are you going George? If you're going down to the brothel I'll come along too.” But George didn't even hear the man, didn't even steal a glance at him.
As George approached the brush by the water he felt sick, he could see Lennie's body. Shivers went down his back that could not be shaken off. He began to tie a rope around a branch on an old sycamore that sat by the water. George then climbed the tree and sat on the branch, tying the rope around his throat. He sat there for a long time after, just looking at the water. Then he saw it, a huge rabbit across the way lapping water from the lake. Must have been the biggest rabbit the man had ever laid eyes on. Suddenly he saw it, creeping behind the rabbit a coyote, skinny feller, tongue out, drooling. Just before death had reached the rabbit George leaned forward and fell, eyes set on the rabbit. The biggest rabbit he'd ever seen.

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