The End of Yardale Part I

Trapped

The last few days had been a blur to Pip. All he really was able to remember was that he'd been taken from his friends by Leslie and brought into some kind of headquarters where he was kept in some odd prison-like cell. Pip was surrounded by blank white walls, and the only bits of furniture in the cell were a toilet and a small, uncomfortable bed. Pip didn't have a singular clue of where he was or why he was here, but he did know that he wasn't here for a good reason. 

Occasionally Pip would hear people speaking from outside the door leading to his cell, but he could never understand what they were saying. The only kind of human interaction he'd received was when he was handed food through his door. 

The food was something Pip didn't mind. It looked disgusting and most people would likely find it repulsing, but because Pip had had to endure his sister's cooking his entire life, he was okay with eating it. Every time he ate it he felt a little bit weird, but he assumed that it was because he hadn't been given much food while in his cell and his body was hardly used to food anymore. 

Once, Pip thought he had heard someone screaming and being dragged through the hallway outside his door, but he chose to not pay any mind to that. 

After a few days, something unusual happened. Pip thought he heard loud banging from the other side of one of the walls. A bit scared, Pip made sure he remained away from that wall. That was until it appeared as if a hole had been broken through by a man's beaten up hand. 

"Hello?" Pip worriedly asked. 

"Hi." the man who had broken through said. "I wasn't expecting that to break into someone else's cell. Sorry." Looking at him more closely, Pip thought the man looked oddly familiar- despite the fact that Pip knew he'd never met him. He had dark red hair and Pip believed he'd recognized his facial structure. 

Confused, Pip asked, "Who are you?" 

"Ah, I'm Matthew. Matthew Pocket. And you?"  the man replied. 

Surprised, Pip answered, "Pip Pirrup. Are you, by any chance, related to a Herbert Pocket?"

Matthew nodded. "Indeed. He's my son. And- are you related to a Phillip Pirrup?"  

"That's my dad." Pip said, completely shocked. 

"Oh, how splendid! He was my best friend before he... passed." said Matthew. 

"Really? Herbert was my best friend." Pip said. 

"How crazy that is! Do tell me, is Herbert doing alright?" Matthew then asked. 

Pip didn't know what to do. Should he lie and let Pocket's father be happy, or be honest? Suddenly, though, Matthew's expression darkened as if he already knew the truth. 

"He's died, hasn't he?" he asked. 

Pip sighed and nodded. "I'm sorry. I should've done more to help him- if I'd have only helped him more sooner-"

"No need to apologize." said Matthew. "I should've known. Before I was brought here, he'd sent me letters regarding his sickness. I tried to help him get it treated, but neither of us could afford the hospital's demands. It was only a matter of time before he'd die. Plus, I should've realized when you said he 'was' your best friend." 

"I suppose." sighed Pip. "Why were you brought here?" 

"My brother works here. He doesn't like me very much." 

"Oh." Pip said. "My sister doesn't like me very much. I believe she's dead, though." 

"Sarah, wasn't it?" 

Nodding, Pip replied, "Yep." 

"I knew her for a bit. She was named after my wife, y'know." Matthew commented. 

"I think I knew that." said Pip. 

"Goodness, I do miss my wife quite a lot." Matthew then said. "She died of the same sickness Pocket did a long time ago. A wonderful woman, she was." 

"Well she's got to be better than the woman named after her." said Pip jokingly.

Matthew laughed. "I don't remember your sister being too nice. One time she called me a man-whore. She was ten at the time- quite the surprise for me and your parents." 

It was then Pip's turn to laugh. "She called me a disappointment every time I saw her. She was always rather mean to me." 

"Well she's gone now, so we can rejoice." Matthew said, smiling. 

"Indeed." Pip grinned. He was glad he met this Matthew Pocket chap. It was almost like Pip was with his friend Herbert Pocket again.