##@&*^\«:¨                                          ¨:«\^*&@##
#@&*^\«:¨¨                                          ¨¨:«\^*&@#
##@&*^\«:¨                                          ¨:«\^*&@##
#@&*^\«:¨¨                                          ¨¨:«\^*&@#
##@&*^\«:¨                                          ¨:«\^*&@##
#@&*^\«:¨¨         ^\«««««:::¨  ¨:::«««««\^         ¨¨:«\^*&@#
##@&*^\«:¨         ^                      ^         ¨:«\^*&@##
#@&*^\«:¨¨         ^ 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!               ¨¨:«\^*&@#
##@&*^\«:¨                                          ¨:«\^*&@##
#@&*^\«:¨¨                                          ¨¨:«\^*&@#
##@&*^\«:¨                                          ¨:«\^*&@##
#@&*^\«:¨¨                                          ¨¨:«\^*&@#
##@&*^\«:¨                                          ¨:«\^*&@##