.~=*†%#@##                                          ##@#%†*=~.
.~=*†%##@@                                          @@##%†*=~.
.~*†%#@###                                          ###@#%†*~.
.~=*†%#@##                                          ##@#%†*=~.
..~=***†##                                          ##†***=~..
.....~*†%#         †*=====~~~.  .~~~=====*†         #%†*~.....
.~=*†%#@##         †                      †         ##@#%†*=~.
.~=*†%#@@#         † 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!               ##%*~.....
.~=*†%#@##                                          ##@#%†*=~.
....~**%#@                                          @#%**~....
.~=*†%#@##                                          ##@#%†*=~.
...~==*%##                                          ##%*==~...
.~=*†%#@##                                          ##@#%†*=~.