.....==^%#                                          #%^==.....
.^=*^%§###                                          ###§%^*=^.
.^=*^%§###                                          ###§%^*=^.
.^=*^%§###                                          ###§%^*=^.
.^=*^%§###                                          ###§%^*=^.
.^=*^%§###         ^*=====^^^.  .^^^=====*^         ###§%^*=^.
.^=*^%§###         ^                      ^         ###§%^*=^.
.^=*^%§###         ^ 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!               §%*^^.....
.^=*^%§###                                          ###§%^*=^.
.^=*^%§###                                          ###§%^*=^.
.....=*^%#                                          #%^*=.....
.^=*^%§§§#                                          #§§§%^*=^.
.....===^§                                          §^===.....