§¨§¨¨§¨§§§                                          §§¨¨§¨¨¨§¨
¨¨¨§¨¨¨§¨§                                          §§§¨¨§¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨§¨¨¨¨¨                                          §¨§§¨¨§¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨§¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨§§§¨¨§¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨§¨¨¨                                          ¨¨§¨§§¨¨§¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨§¨¨         †======...¨  ¨...======†         ¨¨¨¨§§§¨¨§
§¨¨¨¨¨¨¨§¨         †                      †         §¨¨¨§¨§§¨¨
¨§¨¨¨¨¨¨¨§         † 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!              ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨§§§
§¨¨¨¨¨§§§¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨§¨§
§§¨¨¨¨§¨§§                                          §¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨§
¨§§¨¨¨¨¨§§                                          ¨§¨¨¨¨¨¨¨§
¨§§§¨¨¨¨§¨                                          ¨¨§¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨§¨§§¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨§¨¨¨¨¨¨