..~\%@@@## ##@@@%\~..
...~\%@@@# #@@@%\~...
....~\%@@@ @@@%\~....
.....~\%@@ @@%\~.....
......~\%@ @%\~......
.......~\% %\~~~~~.... ....~~~~~\% %\~.......
........~\ % % \~........
.........~ % 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! %\~.......
......~\%@ @%\~......
.....~\%@@ @@%\~.....
....~\%@@@ @@@%\~....
...~\%@@@# #@@@%\~...
..~\%@@@## ##@@@%\~..