,,,.«**=@£                                          £@=**«.,,,
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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!              ##@£@%=«.,
,,,«*==%%£                                          £%%==*«,,,
,,,.*===@@                                          @@===*.,,,
,,..*==@@@                                          @@@==*..,,
,,,,.«=%%@                                          @%%=«.,,,,
,.«*=%@£@#                                          #@£@%=*«.,