¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨         %†~~~~~,,,¨  ¨,,,~~~~~†%         ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨         %                      %         ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
,¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨         % 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!               ¨¨¨,~†%§#¶
#¶#§%†~,¨¨                                          ¨¨,~†%§#¶#
##¶#§%†~,¨                                          ¨,~†%§#¶##
#¶#§%†~,¨¨                                          ¨¨,~†%§#¶#
¶#§%†~,¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨,~†%§#¶
#§%†~,¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨,~†%§#