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,,,,,,,,,^                                          ^,,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,^«         *^«««««^^^,  ,^^^«««««^*         «^,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,^«^         *                      *         ^«^,,,,,,,
,,,,,,^«^*         * 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!              #@#@*^«^,,
,^«^*@#@##                                          ##@#@*^«^,
,,^«^*@#@#                                          #@#@*^«^,,
,,,^«^*@#@                                          @#@*^«^,,,
,,,,^«^*@#                                          #@*^«^,,,,
,,,,,^«^*@                                          @*^«^,,,,,