&*==,,,¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨,,,==*&
###@$*=«,¨                                          ¨,«=*$@###
@@&***=«,¨                                          ¨,«=***&@@
&&*==««¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨««==*&&
##@&$*=«,¨                                          ¨,«=*$&@##
&*===,,¨¨¨         *=«««««,,,¨  ¨,,,«««««=*         ¨¨¨,,===*&
##@&$*=«,¨         *                      *         ¨,«=*$&@##
&&*==,¨¨¨¨         * 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     ¨¨¨¨¨,«*&@
&$*=«¨¨¨¨¨  TOUCHED THE GROUND. THIS WAS HER DOING! ¨¨¨¨¨«=*$&
###@&$*«,¨               SHE WAS HERE!              ¨,«*$&@###
#&**=««,,¨                                          ¨,,««=**&#
@$$$=«¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨«=$$$@
&&****=«,¨                                          ¨,«=****&&
##@&$*=«,¨                                          ¨,«=*$&@##
&$==,¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨,==$&