§§§¨¨¨§¨¨§                                          ¨§§¨§¨¨§¨§
¨¨¨§¨¨§§¨§                                          ¨§¨§§§¨§§§
§¨¨§§¨§¨§§                                          §§§§¨¨§§¨¨
§§¨§¨§§§§¨                                          ¨¨¨¨§¨§¨§¨
§¨§§§§¨¨¨§                                          ¨¨¨¨§§§§§§
¨§§¨¨¨§¨¨§         %=-----~~~¨  ¨~~~-----=%         §¨¨¨§¨¨¨¨¨
¨§¨§¨¨§§¨§         %                      %         §§¨¨§§¨¨¨¨
¨§§§§¨§¨§§         % 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!              ¨¨¨¨§§¨§§§
¨§§§¨¨§¨¨¨                                          §¨¨¨§¨§§¨¨
¨§¨¨§¨§§¨¨                                          §§¨¨§§§¨§¨
¨§§¨§§§¨§¨                                          ¨¨§¨§¨¨§§§
§§¨§§¨¨§§§                                          ¨¨§§§§¨§¨¨
§¨§§¨§¨§¨¨                                          ¨¨§¨¨¨§§§¨