.^~;*@## ###&@*;~^.
.^~;*@@&&& &&&@@*;~^.
.....^;;@# #@;;^.....
..^^^~;@@# #@@;~^^^..
....^;@& #&&@;^....
.^~;*@## *;~~~~~^^^. .^^^~~~~~;* ###&@*;~^.
.^~;*@## * * ###&@*;~^.
.^~;*@## * 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! ###&@*;~^.
.....^~;*& &*;~^.....
....~;@@ #&@@;~....
.^~;*@## ###&@*;~^.
.^~;*@## ###&@*;~^.
.^~;*@## ###&@*;~^.