¨§¨§¨§¨¨§¨                                          ¨§§¨¨§¨¨§¨
§§¨§¨§¨§§¨                                          ¨¨§¨§§¨§§¨
¨§¨§¨§¨¨§¨                                          ¨§§¨¨§¨¨§¨
§§¨§¨§¨§§¨                                          ¨¨§¨§§¨§§¨
¨§¨§¨§¨¨§¨                                          ¨§§¨¨§¨¨§¨
§§¨§¨§¨§§¨         %;~~~~~,,,¨  ¨,,,~~~~~;%         ¨¨§¨§§¨§§¨
¨§¨§¨§¨¨§¨         %                      %         ¨§§¨¨§¨¨§¨
§§¨§¨§¨§§¨         % 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!              ¨¨§¨§§¨§§¨
¨§¨§¨§¨¨§¨                                          ¨§§¨¨§¨¨§¨
§§¨§¨§¨§§¨                                          ¨¨§¨§§¨§§¨
¨§¨§¨§¨¨§¨                                          ¨§§¨¨§¨¨§¨
§§¨§¨§¨§§¨                                          ¨¨§¨§§¨§§¨
¨§¨§¨§¨¨§¨                                          ¨§§¨¨§¨¨§¨