..~=*†@###                                          ###@†*=~..
...~=*†@##                                          ##@†*=~...
..~=*†@###                                          ###@†*=~..
.~=*†@####                                          ####@†*=~.
..~=*†@###                                          ###@†*=~..
...~=*†@##         †*=====~~~.  .~~~=====*†         ##@†*=~...
..~=*†@###         †                      †         ###@†*=~..
.~=*†@####         † 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!              ####@†*=~.
..~=*†@###                                          ###@†*=~..
...~=*†@##                                          ##@†*=~...
..~=*†@###                                          ###@†*=~..
.~=*†@####                                          ####@†*=~.
..~=*†@###                                          ###@†*=~..