.....«%%%#                                          #%%%«.....
....,,,«%§                                          §%«,,,....
...,«««%%#                                          #%%«««,...
.«=%%§####                                          ####§%%=«.
.,«=%%§###                                          ###§%%=«,.
.,«=%%§###         %=«««««,,,.  .,,,«««««=%         ###§%%=«,.
.,«===%§§#         %                      %         #§§%===«,.
.,«=%%§###         % 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!               #§%%=,....
.,«=%%§###                                          ###§%%=«,.
.,«=%%§###                                          ###§%%=«,.
.....,=%§#                                          #§%=,.....
.,«=%%§###                                          ###§%%=«,.
...,«=%%%§                                          §%%%=«,...