¨¨§¨§§¨¨§¨                                          §¨§§§¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨§§§¨¨§                                          §¨§¨§§¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨§¨§§¨¨                                          §¨¨¨§§§¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨§§§¨                                          §§¨¨§¨§§¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨§¨§§                                          ¨§§¨¨¨§§§¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨§§         =\~~~~~---¨  ¨---~~~~~\=         ¨§§§¨¨§¨§§
§¨¨¨¨¨¨¨§¨         =                      =         ¨§¨§§¨¨¨§§
§§¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨         = 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!               ¨§§¨¨¨¨¨§§
§§¨¨¨§¨¨¨§                                          ¨§§§¨¨¨¨§¨
§§§¨¨¨§¨¨¨                                          ¨§¨§§¨¨¨¨¨
§¨§§¨¨¨§¨¨                                          ¨¨¨§§§¨¨¨¨
¨¨§§§¨¨¨§¨                                          ¨¨¨§¨§§¨¨¨
¨¨§¨§§¨¨¨§                                          §¨¨¨¨§§§¨¨