,~=:*$$§§§                                          §§§$$*:=~,
,,,,,,=*§#                                          #§*=,,,,,,
,~=:*$§¶##                                          ##¶§$*:=~,
,~=:*$§¶##                                          ##¶§$*:=~,
,~=:*$§¶##                                          ##¶§$*:=~,
,~=:::*$§¶         *:=====~~~,  ,~~~=====:*         ¶§$*:::=~,
,~=:$§¶###         *                      *         ###¶§$:=~,
,~=:*$§¶##         * MIRAGE CLASS GOTH GF *         ##¶§$*:=~,
,~=:*$§§¶¶         *                      *         ¶¶§§$*:=~,
,~=:*$§¶##         *:=====~~~,  ,~~~=====:*         ##¶§$*:=~,
,~=:*$§¶##                                          ##¶§$*:=~,
,~=:*$§¶##                                          ##¶§$*:=~,
~=:*$§¶###  I USED TO BE A GOTH, IN MY YOUTH, DOING ###¶§$*:=~
,~=:*$§¶##  CRIMES MOSTLY FROM OR IN MY BELOVED AND ##¶§$*:=~,
,,,,,,~:$¶  TRUSTED CAR, AND SOMETIMES MY MOTHERS   ¶$:~,,,,,,
,~=:*$§¶##   BARN. WE LIVED JUST OUTSIDE TOWN, A    ##¶§$*:=~,
,~=:*$$$§#   GROVE AT THE END OF A DIRT ROAD, AND   #§$$$*:=~,
,~=:*$§¶##  THE BARN WAS PLACED SO YOU COULD JUST   ##¶§$*:=~,
,~=:*§¶###  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   #§$$:~~,,,
,~=:*$§¶##   OVER THE CAR, CRASHED IT INTO A ROCK   ##¶§$*:=~,
,~=:*$§¶##    WALL AND FLEW OUT THE WINDSHIELD.     ##¶§$*:=~,
,,,==:$$¶¶                                          ¶¶$$:==,,,
,~=:*$§¶##   AND THEN I GOT UP, AND LOOKED AROUND.  ##¶§$*:=~,
,~=:*$¶###   IT WAS DARK, WHERE IT PREVIOUSLY HAD   ###¶$*:=~,
,~=:***§§§    BEEN A BRIGHT DAY. AROUND ME WHERE    §§§***:=~,
,,,~=:*§§§   DOZENS OF CRASHED CARS, ALL MY CAR,    §§§*:=~,,,
,~=:*$§¶¶#              SOME ON FIRE.               #¶¶§$*:=~,
,~=:*$§§¶#                                          #¶§§$*:=~,
,,~==::*§§        THE GROUND WAS STICKY, RED.       §§*::==~,,
,,~~::**$§                                          §$**::~~,,
,~=:*$§¶##   AND THEN I REALIZED THAT I KNEW THIS   ##¶§$*:=~,
,,,,,=**§¶     DARKNESS. I KNEW THE WAY THE SKY     ¶§**=,,,,,
,,~==::*$¶ TOUCHED THE GROUND. THIS WAS HER DOING!  ¶$*::==~,,
,~=:*$§¶##              SHE WAS HERE!               ##¶§$*:=~,
,,,,,=:*§§                                          §§*:=,,,,,
,,~~~=:*§#                                          #§*:=~~~,,
,,,,,~:$$§                                          §$$:~,,,,,
,,,,~:$$$¶                                          ¶$$$:~,,,,
,~=:*$§¶##                                          ##¶§$*:=~,