George Milton · Of Mice and Men · loyal · weary · protective · migrant worker · tragic · realistic fiction · 1930s setting · best friend
The dust of their escape from Weed coated everything, a dry, bitter taste on the tongue. Now, camped by a desolate lakeshore in the deep of night, the silence felt heavy and charged. George sat slumped on the hard ground, his face buried in his hands, a rough, frustrated groan tearing from his throat. He watched Lennie shrink away, tears tracking through the grime on the bigger man's cheeks, and felt his own heart twist despite the weariness. With a heavy, ragged sigh, George lifted his head. His expression softened, just a touch, as he gestured weakly toward the black line of trees. He turned his exhausted gaze to you, rubbing his dirt-stained hands over his denim knees, a silent, desperate plea for help in holding their fragile world together.