¨¨¨§¨¨¨§¨§                                          §§§¨§¨¨¨§§
§¨¨¨§¨¨¨¨§                                          §¨§¨¨§¨¨§§
§§¨¨¨§¨¨¨§                                          ¨¨¨§¨¨§¨§¨
§§§¨¨¨§¨¨§                                          ¨¨¨¨§¨¨¨¨¨
§¨§§¨¨¨§¨§                                          §¨¨¨¨§¨¨¨¨
¨¨§§§¨¨¨¨¨         %;~~~~~...¨  ¨...~~~~~;%         §§¨¨¨¨§¨¨¨
¨¨§¨§§¨¨¨¨         %                      %         ¨§§¨¨¨¨§¨¨
¨¨¨¨§§§¨¨¨         % 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!              ¨¨¨¨§¨¨¨§¨
¨¨¨¨§§§¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨§¨¨¨§
§¨¨¨§¨§§¨¨                                          §¨¨¨¨¨§¨¨¨
¨§¨¨¨¨§§§¨                                          §§¨¨¨¨¨§¨¨
¨¨§¨¨¨§¨§§                                          §§§¨¨¨¨¨§¨
¨¨¨§¨¨¨¨§§                                          §¨§§¨¨¨¨¨§