....*^^^@#                                          #@^^^*....
..«*^§@###                                          ###@§^*«..
....«**^@#                                          #@^**«....
..«*^§@###                                          ###@§^*«..
..«*^§@###                                          ###@§^*«..
..«***^§@#         ^*«««««....  ....«««««*^         #@§^***«..
.......«^@         ^                      ^         @^«.......
......«^^@         ^ 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!              ###@§^*«..
..«*^§@###                                          ###@§^*«..
..«*^§@###                                          ###@§^*«..
..«*^§@###                                          ###@§^*«..
..«*^§@###                                          ###@§^*«..
..«*^§@@@#                                          #@@@§^*«..