The thicket was replenished by a dark atmosphere, stars appeared popping up from the sky while the trees sizzled above from the night breeze. The fire sparks crack the quietness, and the crickets wake up chattering. The water was clear, reflecting on the sky with swift, gentle movements from the creek that swished along the delicate stream. An empty bean can lay beside Martín, who was still sitting while the other men relaxed on their blanket bindle mattress, their cans thrown to the sides of the forest. It was quiet between all of them, but not awkward. That was until the bigger man turned his head, shifting his gaze directly towards his friend George."George?" Spoke Lennie.
"What?"
"Tell like- me, like you done before."
"Tell you what?" George's eyes gaze at Lennie.
"Mm, 'bout the- 'bout the rabbits."
"Not t'night."
"C'mon George! Tell like you done before-" Lennie says insistently.
"Please? Please? Please?" He begs."You get a kick outta that don't cha?" George says with a tug of a smile.
Martín who's been listening to their conversation, perked his head up slightly interested. Lennie glances at Martín and then back at George. "Ya can tell the dream to Martin too, George! Tell 'bout it!" He says more enthusiastically.
George glanced at Martín across from them, yet again, forgetting he was there with them. He could tell the boy seemed intrigued in a way. Of course, George thought that the dream was solely meant to be told by him and Lennie only, but he reckoned since Lennie just blurted out his business like he always does, he'd tell it anyway.
"Okay, I will," George agreed, readjusting his sitting position. He looks over at Lennie and Martín clearing his voice a little before telling the story.
"Guys like us that work on ranches ar' the loneliest guys in the world. They ain't got no family an' they don't belong no place; They got nothin' to look ahead to-"
"But not us, George! Tell, uh,'bout us now" Lennie abruptly interrupted.
"Well we ain't like that. We gotta future. We got- we got somebody to talk too that- gives a damn 'bout us, if them other guys gets 'n jail, they can rot for all anybody cares."
"But not us George! B'cause I- I got you to look after me, but you got me to look after- but George tell about hows its gonna be."
George smiled more, seeing Lennie's excitement. "With some day, we gonna have us a little house an' a'couple of acres...an' a cow an' a pig-"
"an' chickens!" They both say at the same time as Lennie budges in.
"An' we gonna live off the fatta the land George and have rabbits!"
"and have rabbits," George states.
Martín saw the two men's enthusiasm in the place they dreamed of. It made him feel a little hopeful too, hearing other people's dreams and futures.
"But George tell why we got in the garden, then tell about the rabbits in winter- An' about the stove an' a...uh...how thick the cream was on the milk? Like- Tell it, George, tell it." Lennie poked George, tugging him slightly too.
"Why don't ya do it yer'self ya know all of it"
"George no! George, no, it's not the same it- when I tell it, thas not the same. Go tell uhm- uh..How I get to tend the rabbits!"
George chuckled before continuing. "We're gonna have a big vegetable patch, we're gonna have a rabbit hutch. An' down at the flat, we'll have a little field of alfalfa-"
"field of alfalfa for the rabbits! An' I get to tend the rabbits,"
"Yeah you get to tend the rabbits. Where it rains in the winter, we jus' say hell was goin' to work and we'll just build a fire in the stove, and we'll just sit there an' we'll listen to the rain..." George's voice fades, but so does his smile too, going quiet.
Martín and Lennie watch as he gets up and walks towards a bush and tree standing there for a while, then turning to look back at, specifically Lennie.
"Lennie I want you to look around here. You get in any trouble, I want you to come right here...You hide over here in the brush." George state firmly.
"Hide in the brush," Lennie repeats to himself.
"You hide in the brush, till I come for you. You remember that?"
"sure I can George, hide in the brush till you come for me.."
"But you ain't gonna get in no trouble cause if you do I ain't gonna let you tend the rabbits."
"I'm not gonna get in- in any trouble.." Lennie reassured him.
"Okay."
"I can remember by God!"
"Lets get some rest." George walks back next to Lennie, readjusting himself to lay down on his bindle. He looks back at Martín.
"Hey."
Martín glances up at George.
"Don't ya got something' to sleep on?"
Martín shakes his head. "No sir, but it's okay I can just lay down here. It's not so bad."
"You sure?"
"Yeah." Martín then proceeded to lie down and accommodate his posture to make himself a little comfortable before looking at the fire with weary eyes.
Lennie glimpsed at Martín before turning his attention back to George. "George"
"What d'ya want?"
"I think we should get uh- them different colored rabbits."
"Sure, red rabbits an' blue rabbits an' green rabbits."
Lennie smiled, and George scoffed, laughing lightly. Martín smiles overhearing the joke. He then yawns and closes his eyes, drifting to sleep. As the whole forest goes to slumber, the fire dies out and in the distance are only heard by the brush and trees that follow through the wind direction at night. The water washes up delicately and past the shore with leaves falling onto the creek following along the stream. It was quiet, only for a moment before the snores of both men started deep in sleep.
YOU ARE READING
Of Mice And Men AU w/ OC Insert [W.I.P]
General FictionThe AU follows the same storyline in the novel + movie directed by Gary Sinise, with some aspects slightly altered for the sake of the AU. The story's main focus is on Martín, but the Main characters remain the same (Lennie and George) Some of the c...