,^«/*%£###                                          ###£%*/«^,
,,^«/*%£##                                          ##£%*/«^,,
,,,^«/*%£#                                          #£%*/«^,,,
,,,,^«/*%£                                          £%*/«^,,,,
,,,,,^«/*%                                          %*/«^,,,,,
,,,,,,^«/*         */«««««^^^,  ,^^^«««««/*         */«^,,,,,,
,,,,,,,^«/         *                      *         /«^,,,,,,,
,,,,,,^«/*         * 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!               */«^,,,,,,
,,,,,^«/*%                                          %*/«^,,,,,
,,,,^«/*%£                                          £%*/«^,,,,
,,,^«/*%£#                                          #£%*/«^,,,
,,^«/*%£##                                          ##£%*/«^,,
,^«/*%£###                                          ###£%*/«^,