¨¨¨¨¨¨§¨§¨                                          §¨§§¨¨§¨§¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨§§§¨¨¨¨§
§¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨§¨§§¨¨¨¨
¨§¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨§§§¨¨¨
¨¨§¨¨¨¨¨¨¨                                          §¨¨¨§¨§§¨¨
¨¨¨§¨¨¨¨¨¨         *:~~~~~~~~¨  ¨~~~~~~~~:*         §§¨¨¨¨§§§¨
¨¨¨¨§¨¨¨¨¨         *                      *         ¨§§¨¨¨§¨§§
§¨¨¨¨§¨¨¨¨         * 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!              ¨¨¨¨§§§¨¨¨
¨¨§§§¨¨¨¨¨                                          §¨¨¨§¨§§¨¨
¨¨§¨§§¨¨¨¨                                          ¨§¨¨¨¨§§§¨
¨¨¨¨§§§¨¨¨                                          ¨¨§¨¨¨§¨§§
§¨¨¨§¨§§¨¨                                          §¨¨§¨¨¨¨§§
§§¨¨¨¨§§§¨                                          §§¨¨§¨¨¨§¨