¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨         §†«««««---¨  ¨---«««««†§         ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨-         §                      §         -¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨-«         § 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!              #@&$§†«-¨¨
¨-«†§$&@##                                          ##@&$§†«-¨
¨¨-«†§$&@#                                          #@&$§†«-¨¨
¨¨¨-«†§$&@                                          @&$§†«-¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨-«†§$&                                          &$§†«-¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨-«†§$                                          $§†«-¨¨¨¨¨