¨§¨§§¨¨¨¨§                                          §§¨¨¨¨§¨¨¨
¨¨¨§§§¨¨¨§                                          ¨§§¨¨¨¨§¨¨
¨¨¨§¨§§¨¨¨                                          ¨§§§¨¨¨¨§¨
¨¨¨¨¨§§§¨¨                                          ¨§¨§§¨¨¨¨§
§¨¨¨¨§¨§§¨                                          ¨¨¨§§§¨¨¨¨
¨§¨¨¨¨¨§§§         $:~~~~~~~~¨  ¨~~~~~~~~:$         ¨¨¨§¨§§¨¨¨
¨¨§¨¨¨¨§¨§         $                      $         ¨¨¨¨¨§§§¨¨
¨¨¨§¨¨¨¨¨§         $ MIRAGE CLASS GOTH GF $         ¨¨¨¨¨§¨§§¨
¨¨¨¨§¨¨¨¨§         $                      $         §¨¨¨¨¨¨§§§
§¨¨¨¨§¨¨¨¨         $:~~~~~~~~¨  ¨~~~~~~~~:$         ¨§¨¨¨¨¨§¨§
§§¨¨¨¨§¨¨¨                                          ¨¨§¨¨¨¨¨¨§
¨§§¨¨¨¨§¨¨                                          ¨¨¨§¨¨¨¨¨§
¨§§§¨¨¨¨§¨  I USED TO BE A GOTH, IN MY YOUTH, DOING ¨¨¨¨§¨¨¨¨¨
¨§¨§§¨¨¨¨§  CRIMES MOSTLY FROM OR IN MY BELOVED AND ¨¨¨¨¨§¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨§§§¨¨¨¨  TRUSTED CAR, AND SOMETIMES MY MOTHERS   §¨¨¨¨¨§¨¨¨
¨¨¨§¨§§¨¨¨    BARN. WE LIVED JUST OUTSIDE TOWN, A   §§¨¨¨¨¨§¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨§§§¨¨   GROVE AT THE END OF A DIRT ROAD, AND   §§§¨¨¨¨¨§¨
¨¨¨¨¨§¨§§¨  THE BARN WAS PLACED SO YOU COULD JUST   §¨§§¨¨¨¨¨§
§¨¨¨¨¨¨§§§  MAKE OUT THE SURROUNDING FIELDS THROUGH ¨¨§§§¨¨¨¨¨
¨§¨¨¨¨¨§¨§                THE TREES.                ¨¨§¨§§¨¨¨¨
¨¨§¨¨¨¨¨¨§                                          ¨¨¨¨§§§¨¨¨
¨¨¨§¨¨¨¨¨§    MY CAR WAS BLACK AND LOUD, BOTH THE   §¨¨¨§¨§§¨¨
¨¨¨¨§¨¨¨¨¨    ENGINE AND THE WAY THE PARTS DIDN'T   ¨§¨¨¨¨§§§¨
¨¨¨¨¨§¨¨¨¨     REALLY STICK TOGETHER. I TOOK MY     ¨¨§¨¨¨§¨§§
§¨¨¨¨¨§¨¨¨  CRIMEFRIEND FOR RIDES, IN THE DARK, THE ¨¨¨§¨¨¨¨§§
§§¨¨¨¨¨§¨¨   ETERNAL DARK THAT SEEMED TO SURROUND   §¨¨¨§¨¨¨§¨
§§§¨¨¨¨¨§¨   US. SHE SEEMED TO CAST THIS VEIL OVER  §§¨¨¨§¨¨¨¨
§¨§§¨¨¨¨¨§  EVERYTHING. HER BLACK SKIRT REACHED TO  §§§¨¨¨§¨¨¨
¨¨§§§¨¨¨¨¨   HER KNEES BUT THEN SOMEHOW ALSO BACK   §¨§§¨¨¨§¨¨
¨¨§¨§§¨¨¨¨  AROUND, ENVELOPING ALL MY MEMORIES OF   ¨¨§§§¨¨¨§¨
¨¨¨¨§§§¨¨¨            OUR TIME TOGETHER.            ¨¨§¨§§¨¨¨§
§¨¨¨§¨§§¨¨                                          §¨¨¨§§§¨¨¨
¨§¨¨¨¨§§§¨  THERE WAS BLOOD EVERYWHERE. SOMETIMES   §§¨¨§¨§§¨¨
¨¨§¨¨¨§¨§§  THE BLOOD WAS HER RED LIPSTICK OR HER   ¨§§¨¨¨§§§¨
¨¨¨§¨¨¨¨§§  CHECKERED SHIRT. SHE WAS ON TELEVISION. ¨§§§¨¨§¨§§
§¨¨¨§¨¨¨§¨     WE DID CRIME, AND WE MADE WEIRD      ¨§¨§§¨¨¨§§
§§¨¨¨§¨¨¨¨  STRUCTURES IN THE BARN, TALL PILLARS OF ¨¨¨§§§¨¨§¨
§§§¨¨¨§¨¨¨  DARK WOOD, LADDERS AND PLATEAUS, FIRES  ¨¨¨§¨§§¨¨¨
§¨§§¨¨¨§¨¨  AND FAIRY LIGHTS. WE WOULD SLEEP THERE  ¨¨¨¨¨§§§¨¨
¨¨§§§¨¨¨§¨ AND DRINK THERE AND SHE WOULD GO IN THE  ¨¨¨¨¨§¨§§¨
¨¨§¨§§¨¨¨§               TELEVISION.                ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨§§§
§¨¨¨§§§¨¨¨                                          §¨¨¨¨¨¨§¨§
§§¨¨§¨§§¨¨ AND THEN THE SUN CAME OUT, AND SHE WENT  §§¨¨¨¨¨¨¨§
¨§§¨¨¨§§§¨  AWAY. EVERYTHING CHANGED... I YEARNED,  ¨§§¨¨¨¨¨¨§
¨§§§¨¨§¨§§   AND THE WORLD BECAME DULL AROUND ME.   ¨§§§¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨§¨§§¨¨¨§§                                          ¨§¨§§¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨§§§¨¨§¨    I STOPPED DOING CRIME, EXCEPT WHEN    ¨¨¨§§§¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨§¨§§¨¨¨  NECESSARRY. THINGS SOMEHOW SEEMED LIKE  ¨¨¨§¨§§¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨§§§¨¨   THEY WERE ALLRIGHT, MOULDED IN PLACE,  §¨¨¨¨§§§¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨§¨§§¨   AND I LOATHED IT ------ I MISSED HER   §§¨¨¨§¨§§¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨§§§                 SO MUCH.                 ¨§§¨¨¨¨§§§
§¨¨¨¨¨¨§¨§                                          ¨§§§¨¨¨§¨§
§§¨¨¨¨¨¨¨§                                          ¨§¨§§¨¨¨¨§
¨§§¨¨¨¨¨¨§            ~~~~~~~¨ ¨~~~~~~~             ¨¨¨§§§¨¨¨§
¨§§§¨¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨§¨§§¨¨¨
¨§¨§§¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨§§§¨¨
¨¨¨§§§¨¨¨¨  I SEARCHED FOR HER, BUT NOBODY HAD ANY  §¨¨¨¨§¨§§¨
¨¨¨§¨§§¨¨¨    MEMORIES OF HER. NOT SO MUCH OF ME    ¨§¨¨¨¨¨§§§
§¨¨¨¨§§§¨¨  EITHER, FROM THE TIME WE WERE TOGETHER. ¨¨§¨¨¨¨§¨§
§§¨¨¨§¨§§¨  MY MOTHER SAID I KEPT TO MYSELF IN THE  ¨¨¨§¨¨¨¨¨§
¨§§¨¨¨¨§§§           BARN, OR IN THE CAR.           ¨¨¨¨§¨¨¨¨§
¨§§§¨¨¨§¨§                                          §¨¨¨¨§¨¨¨¨
¨§¨§§¨¨¨¨§     SOMETIMES I COULD STILL SEE HER      §§¨¨¨¨§¨¨¨
¨¨¨§§§¨¨¨§    FLASHING BY ON THE TV IN THE BARN.    ¨§§¨¨¨¨§¨¨
¨¨¨§¨§§¨¨¨     EVERYTHING WAS BLACK THEN, FOR A     ¨§§§¨¨¨¨§¨
¨¨¨¨¨§§§¨¨  MOMENT. I REMEMBERED HER LAUGH AND KNEW ¨§¨§§¨¨¨¨§
§¨¨¨¨§¨§§¨   WE HAD DONE CRIMES TOGETHER, THAT IT   ¨¨¨§§§¨¨¨¨
¨§¨¨¨¨¨§§§             HAD BEEN REAL...             ¨¨¨§¨§§¨¨¨
¨¨§¨¨¨¨§¨§                                          ¨¨¨¨¨§§§¨¨
¨¨¨§¨¨¨¨¨§                                          ¨¨¨¨¨§¨§§¨
¨¨¨¨§¨¨¨¨§             ~~~~~~~¨ ¨~~~~~~~            §¨¨¨¨¨¨§§§
§¨¨¨¨§¨¨¨¨                                          ¨§¨¨¨¨¨§¨§
§§¨¨¨¨§¨¨¨                                          ¨¨§¨¨¨¨¨¨§
¨§§¨¨¨¨§¨¨    I DIED BY GETTING SHOT IN THE HEAD    ¨¨¨§¨¨¨¨¨§
¨§§§¨¨¨¨§¨   WHILE RAMMING THE FENCE TO A MILITARY  ¨¨¨¨§¨¨¨¨¨
¨§¨§§¨¨¨¨§   FACILITY. BY THIS TIME THEY HAD BEEN   ¨¨¨¨¨§¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨§§§¨¨¨¨   CHASING ME FOR DAYS. I LOST CONTROL    §¨¨¨¨¨§¨¨¨
¨¨¨§¨§§¨¨¨   OVER THE CAR, CRASHED IT INTO A ROCK   §§¨¨¨¨¨§¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨§§§¨¨     WALL AND FLEW OUT THE WINDSHIELD.    §§§¨¨¨¨¨§¨
¨¨¨¨¨§¨§§¨                                          §¨§§¨¨¨¨¨§
§¨¨¨¨¨¨§§§   AND THEN I GOT UP, AND LOOKED AROUND.  ¨¨§§§¨¨¨¨¨
¨§¨¨¨¨¨§¨§   IT WAS DARK, WHERE IT PREVIOUSLY HAD   ¨¨§¨§§¨¨¨¨
¨¨§¨¨¨¨¨¨§    BEEN A BRIGHT DAY. AROUND ME WHERE    ¨¨¨¨§§§¨¨¨
¨¨¨§¨¨¨¨¨§    DOZENS OF CRASHED CARS, ALL MY CAR,   §¨¨¨§¨§§¨¨
¨¨¨¨§¨¨¨¨¨              SOME ON FIRE.               ¨§¨¨¨¨§§§¨
¨¨¨¨¨§¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨§¨¨¨§¨§§
§¨¨¨¨¨§¨¨¨       THE GROUND WAS STICKY, RED.        ¨¨¨§¨¨¨¨§§
§§¨¨¨¨¨§¨¨                                          §¨¨¨§¨¨¨§¨
§§§¨¨¨¨¨§¨   AND THEN I REALIZED THAT I KNEW THIS   §§¨¨¨§¨¨¨¨
§¨§§¨¨¨¨¨§     DARKNESS. I KNEW THE WAY THE SKY     §§§¨¨¨§¨¨¨
¨¨§§§¨¨¨¨¨  TOUCHED THE GROUND. THIS WAS HER DOING! §¨§§¨¨¨§¨¨
¨¨§¨§§¨¨¨¨              SHE WAS HERE!               ¨¨§§§¨¨¨§¨
¨¨¨¨§§§¨¨¨                                          ¨¨§¨§§¨¨¨§
§¨¨¨§¨§§¨¨                                          §¨¨¨§§§¨¨¨
¨§¨¨¨¨§§§¨                                          §§¨¨§¨§§¨¨
¨¨§¨¨¨§¨§§                                          ¨§§¨¨¨§§§¨
¨¨¨§¨¨¨¨§§                                          ¨§§§¨¨§¨§§