¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
^¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨^
«^¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨^«
*«^¨¨¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨^«*
$*«^¨¨¨¨¨¨         $*«««««^^^¨  ¨^^^«««««*$         ¨¨¨¨¨¨^«*$
$$*«^¨¨¨¨¨         $                      $         ¨¨¨¨¨^«*$$
@$$*«^¨¨¨¨         $ MIRAGE CLASS GOTH GF $         ¨¨¨¨^«*$$@
#@$$*«^¨¨¨         $                      $         ¨¨¨^«*$$@#
##@$$*«^¨¨         $*«««««^^^¨  ¨^^^«««««*$         ¨¨^«*$$@##
###@$$*«^¨                                          ¨^«*$$@###
##@$$*«^¨¨                                          ¨¨^«*$$@##
#@$$*«^¨¨¨ I USED TO BE A GOTH, IN MY YOUTH, DOING  ¨¨¨^«*$$@#
@$$*«^¨¨¨¨  CRIMES MOSTLY FROM OR IN MY BELOVED AND ¨¨¨¨^«*$$@
$$*«^¨¨¨¨¨  TRUSTED CAR, AND SOMETIMES MY MOTHERS   ¨¨¨¨¨^«*$$
$*«^¨¨¨¨¨¨    BARN. WE LIVED JUST OUTSIDE TOWN, A   ¨¨¨¨¨¨^«*$
*«^¨¨¨¨¨¨¨   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!              ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨