.....««§&#                                          #&§««.....
....«§%&##                                          ##&%§«....
.....~«§%#                                          #%§«~.....
.~«^§%&###                                          ###&%§^«~.
.~«^§%&###                                          ###&%§^«~.
...~«§§%##         §^«««««~~~.  .~~~«««««^§         ##%§§«~...
.....«§§&&         §                      §         &&§§«.....
.~«^§%&&##         § 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!              &&&§^^~~~.
.~«^§%&###                                          ###&%§^«~.
.~«^§%####                                          ####%§^«~.
...~~~^%%&                                          &%%^~~~...
......~«§&                                          &§«~......
.....«§%##                                          ##%§«.....