§§¨§§¨§§¨¨                                          §¨¨§¨¨¨§¨¨
§§¨§§¨§§§¨                                          §§¨¨§¨¨¨§¨
§§¨§§¨§¨§§                                          §§§¨¨§¨¨¨¨
§§¨§§¨¨¨§§                                          §¨§§¨¨§¨¨¨
§§¨§§§¨¨§¨                                          ¨¨§§§¨¨§¨¨
§§¨§¨§§¨¨¨         **~~~~~^^^¨  ¨^^^~~~~~**         ¨¨§¨§§¨¨§¨
§§¨¨¨§§§¨¨         *                      *         ¨¨¨¨§§§¨¨¨
§§§¨¨§¨§§¨         * 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!              §¨¨¨¨¨¨§¨¨
¨¨§¨¨¨¨¨§§                                          §§¨¨¨¨¨¨§¨
¨¨¨§¨¨¨¨§¨                                          §§§¨¨¨¨¨¨§
§¨¨¨§¨¨¨¨¨                                          §¨§§¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨§¨¨¨§¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨§§§¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨§¨¨¨§¨¨¨                                          ¨¨§¨§§¨¨¨¨