SOON Online Magazine

Stories

End of The Vixen

By Lady V

Lady Vixen used to visit me once or twice a week and when she did things always became interesting. She was a big, bold woman who drank too much and smoked anything offered. She made me excited to watch, almost like seeing a star on television. It didn't matter what she did it was always magnificent. What other people did that would cause gossip or censor she did as a matter of fact and people found amusing. After she died I often wondered her secret. It wasn't until years later that I found out the facts, and that was only by accident. Sometimes I think that it would've been better for none of us to know the truth, but then I believe that everything comes to pass for a reason. It happened that my husband and I were having some marital problems and I needed to get away so I boarded a train to Brighton. Years earlier I had studied at a nearby University and had lived in Hove, so I had familiar haunts to visit and felt at ease wandering streets aimlessly. After the adrenaline of arrival had settled, I stopped at a pub to relax and to try to think about the reasons I was there. Over a glass of red wine I took off my jacket and settled into my chair. There weren't many people in the pub with me but I could see all the activity on the streets from my position and I let my mind wander with them. The last time I was in this pub it was a sunny and peaceful day. I was studying literature and reading Shakespeare from an old dusty copy of his complete works. The pages were thin and the typeface was small, but I enjoyed the play anyway, and felt pain at having to ruin the pleasure by analysing the text. I should have stopped there. The warning signs were big enough to spell trouble to the illiterate, but I carried on and that was when I learnt the story of Lady Vixen. "She was a young and ambitious woman," said the barmaid, "looked just like you, but was full of life. Used to come in here every so often and read from this big book smiling to herself and occasionally laugh out loud. Never looked too busy to smile. Shame she's gone, cause you two could be sisters or something. Anyway she just sort of kicked this place alive for us. Shame she's gone. Funny how I'd not thought of her missing till I saw you." I smiled and thanked the woman for my drink. "I hope you see her soon," I said as I accepted my change. As I walked back to my seat I felt eyes on me like someone was watching and waiting for me to do something. When I sat down gracefully and sipped my drink I don't know who was more disappointed, the barmaid or me. The End of the Vixen is never marked but always missed by those who can remember.

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