¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
~¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨         ^\«««««~~~¨  ¨~~~«««««\^         ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨~
«~¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨         ^                      ^         ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨~«
\«~¨¨¨¨¨¨¨         ^ 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!              ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨~«\
«~¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨~«
~¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨~
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨