...~-†%*§#                                          #§*%†-~...
....~-†%*§                                          §*%†-~....
.....~-†%*                                          *%†-~.....
....~-†%*§                                          §*%†-~....
...~-†%*§#                                          #§*%†-~...
..~-†%*§##         %†-----~~~.  .~~~-----†%         ##§*%†-~..
.~-†%*§###         %                      %         ###§*%†-~.
..~-†%*§##         % 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!               §*%†-~....
...~-†%*§#                                          #§*%†-~...
..~-†%*§##                                          ##§*%†-~..
.~-†%*§###                                          ###§*%†-~.
..~-†%*§##                                          ##§*%†-~..
...~-†%*§#                                          #§*%†-~...