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