¨~«/*§&###                                          ###&§*/«~¨
¨~«/*§&###                                          ###&§*/«~¨
¨~«/*&####                                          ####&*/«~¨
¨~«///§&&&                                          &&&§///«~¨
¨~«////*&#                                          #&*////«~¨
¨~~«««/§##         */«««««~~~¨  ¨~~~«««««/*         ##§/«««~~¨
¨~«/*§&###         *                      *         ###&§*/«~¨
¨¨¨¨¨«**§#         * 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!               #§*////«~¨
¨~«/*§&###                                          ###&§*/«~¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨~/§&                                          &§/~¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨~«/*§&###                                          ###&§*/«~¨
¨¨¨~~«**&#                                          #&**«~~¨¨¨
¨~«/*§&###                                          ###&§*/«~¨