§¨¨¨¨¨§§§§                                          §§§¨§¨¨¨¨§
¨§¨¨¨¨§¨¨¨                                          §¨¨§§§¨¨¨§
§§§¨¨¨§§¨¨                                          ¨§¨§¨¨§¨¨§
¨¨¨§¨¨§¨§¨                                          §§§§§¨§§¨§
§¨¨§§¨§§§§                                          §¨¨¨¨§§¨§§
¨§¨§¨§§¨¨¨         %=-----^^^¨  ¨^^^-----=%         §§¨¨¨§¨§§¨
¨§§§§§¨§¨¨         %                      %         ¨¨§¨¨§§§¨§
§§¨¨¨¨§§§¨         % 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!              ¨¨¨§¨¨¨§§¨
¨¨§§¨¨§§§§                                          §¨¨§§¨¨§¨§
§¨§¨§¨§¨¨¨                                          §§¨§¨§¨§§§
¨§§§§§§§¨¨                                          ¨¨§§§§§§¨¨
¨§¨¨¨¨¨¨§¨                                          §¨§¨¨¨¨¨§¨
¨§§¨¨¨¨¨§§                                          ¨§§§¨¨¨¨§§