%*†~,¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨,~†*%
*†~,¨¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨¨,~†*
†~,¨¨¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨,~†
~,¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨,~
,¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨,
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨         *†~~~~~,,,¨  ¨,,,~~~~~†*         ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨         *                      *         ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨         * 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!              ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
,¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨,
~,¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨,~
†~,¨¨¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨,~†
*†~,¨¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨¨,~†*
%*†~,¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨,~†*%