.,«*†%¤###                                          ###¤%†*«,.
.,«*†%¤###                                          ###¤%†*«,.
.,«*†%¤¤¤¤                                          ¤¤¤¤%†*«,.
.,«*†%¤###                                          ###¤%†*«,.
.,«*†%¤###                                          ###¤%†*«,.
.,«*†%¤###         †*«««««,,,.  .,,,«««««*†         ###¤%†*«,.
.,«*†%¤###         †                      †         ###¤%†*«,.
.,«*†%¤¤##         † 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!               ¤%*,......
.,«*†%¤###                                          ###¤%†*«,.
.,«*†%¤###                                          ###¤%†*«,.
.,«*†%¤###                                          ###¤%†*«,.
.,«*†%%¤¤¤                                          ¤¤¤%%†*«,.
.,«*†%¤¤¤#                                          #¤¤¤%†*«,.