Showdown

     Curley stalked out of the barn looking white as a ghost. He paced around the yard with his hands plastered to his forehead, as he turned and looked back into the barn at his wife still lying in a motionless heap. A look of pure rage grasped him, and he turned and looked George straight in the eye.
     "I'm gona' kill that crazy big bastard!"
     "You don't think about touchin' Lennie, it ain't his fault he's as dumb as a stone" Yelled George looking into Curley's face as it turned red as a brick.
"I'm gonna tear him apart limb from limb" screamed Curley in retaliation.
"You're as blind as a bat if you can't see he didn't mean it."
"Are you as dense as a lead brick! He killed my wife, you ain't stopping me!"
The other men stood in the door way looking puzzled and confused not knowing what to do or say. It was now a Mexican standoff, as the two glared at each other. Curly being a loose cannon grabbed ahold of George and started to shake him like a rag doll, they hit the dirt and became entangled as a ball of string. Fists started flying as they continued their tumble across the ground and into the barn. Being as careful as a bull in a china shop, tools and equipment hanging on the walls were sent flying across the barn.
"You're putting the last nail in your coffin too George" Curley squealed like a pig as George socked him. Curley picked up a big hammer that was knocked to the ground and swung and missed, the hammer's blunt nose leaving a large dent in the wooden post, followed by a loud ringing. Blood was pouring from Curley's forehead as he now looked bent out of shape.
     "Why do you keep on fighting," panted Curly,"you know that he's done for, he's going to get strung up for murder."
     "I can't let that happen to Lennie, he didn't mean it" cried out George as tears started falling.
     Just then Slim, Carlson, and Whit pried the two combatants apart and pulled them away from each other. Both were panting like a pair of dogs, and around their eyes were starting to swell. A glum look crossed Georges face, as he realized that Curley was right.
    "I...I just can't... I just can't let nobody get Lennie, he's my friend, he's all i got."
    "Look," whispered Slim, "He's right, nobodies going to see this the way you do, no jury is going to believe him innocent. Even if they did they'd still be in favor of stringing him up. You got to look at it from their point of view. I'm sorry George, there's nothing else I can do or say to change anything." Curley, collapsed to the ground and started to sob like a baby, moaning and sniffling, while hitting the ground with his fists. With glowing red puffed eyes Curley looked up from the ground and looked up to the sky.
     "I never even got to tell her that I loved her."
     "Look I've got to go and find Lennie, it's best that I be the one to find him, he won't know whats going on if someone else does." whispered George into Slim's ear with a cupped hand. Slim only nodded and looked gravely back at George. George then slipped outside the circle of men, and crept past and around the barn outside of view. He the started to run like the wind with the glowing sun at his back.