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&%%^«~¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨~«^%%&
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@#&%%^«~¨¨                                          ¨¨~«^%%&#@
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@#&%%^«~¨¨         %^«««««~~~¨  ¨~~~«««««^%         ¨¨~«^%%&#@
#&%%^«~¨¨¨         %                      %         ¨¨¨~«^%%&#
&%%^«~¨¨¨¨         % 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!              ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
~¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨~
«~¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨~«
^«~¨¨¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨~«^
%^«~¨¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨¨~«^%
%%^«~¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨~«^%%