§¨¨§¨¨¨§§§                                          §§¨§¨¨§¨¨¨
§§¨§§¨¨§¨¨                                          ¨¨§§§¨§§¨¨
§¨§§¨§¨§§¨                                          ¨¨§¨¨§§¨§¨
§§§¨§§§§¨§                                          §¨§§¨§¨§§§
¨¨¨§§¨¨¨§§                                          ¨§§¨§§§§¨¨
¨¨¨§¨§¨¨§¨         †=»»»»»,,,¨  ¨,,,»»»»»=†         ¨§¨§§¨¨¨§¨
¨¨¨§§§§¨§§         †                      †         ¨§§§¨§¨¨§§
§¨¨§¨¨¨§§¨         † 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!               ¨§§§¨¨¨§¨¨
§¨¨¨§§§¨¨¨                                          ¨§¨¨§¨¨§§¨
§§¨¨§¨¨§¨¨                                          ¨§§¨§§¨§¨§
¨¨§¨§§¨§§¨                                          §§¨§§¨§§§§
§¨§§§¨§§¨§                                          §¨§§¨§§¨¨¨
§§§¨¨§§¨§§                                          §§§¨§§¨§¨¨