§§¨§§¨¨§§§                                          ¨§¨¨¨¨§¨¨§
¨¨§§¨§¨§¨¨                                          ¨§§¨¨¨§§¨§
§¨§¨§§§§§¨                                          ¨§¨§¨¨§¨§§
¨§§§§¨¨¨¨§                                          §§§§§¨§§§¨
¨§¨¨¨§¨¨¨§                                          §¨¨¨¨§§¨¨§
§§§¨¨§§¨¨§         †\=====---¨  ¨---=====\†         ¨§¨¨¨§¨§¨§
¨¨¨§¨§¨§¨§         †                      †         ¨§§¨¨§§§§§
§¨¨§§§§§§§         † 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!              ¨¨§¨§¨¨¨¨¨
§¨§§§¨§¨¨¨                                          ¨¨§§§§¨¨¨¨
§§§¨¨§§§¨¨                                          §¨§¨¨¨§¨¨¨
§¨¨§¨§¨¨§¨                                          §§§§¨¨§§¨¨
§§¨§§§§¨§§                                          ¨¨¨¨§¨§¨§¨
§¨§§¨¨¨§§¨                                          ¨¨¨¨§§§§§§