¨§¨¨§¨¨§¨¨                                          §¨§¨§§§¨§§
§§¨§§¨§§¨¨                                          §§§§¨¨§§¨§
¨§§¨§§¨§¨§                                          ¨¨¨§¨§¨§§¨
§¨§§¨§§§§¨                                          ¨¨§§§§§¨§¨
§§¨§§¨¨¨§¨                                          ¨§¨¨¨¨§§§§
¨§§¨§¨¨§§§         §\«««««^^^¨  ¨^^^«««««\§         §§¨¨¨§¨¨¨¨
§¨§§§¨§¨¨¨         §                      §         ¨§¨¨§§¨¨¨¨
§§¨¨§§§¨¨¨         § 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!              §¨¨§¨¨§¨§¨
§¨§¨¨¨¨§¨¨                                          §¨§§¨§§§§§
§§§¨¨¨§§¨§                                          §§¨§§¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨§¨¨§¨§§§                                          ¨§§¨§¨¨¨¨§
¨§§¨§§§¨¨¨                                          §¨§§§¨¨¨§§
§¨§§¨¨§¨¨§                                          §§¨¨§¨¨§¨§