¨¨§§¨¨¨¨§¨                                          §¨§¨§§¨¨¨¨
¨¨§§§¨¨¨¨§                                          §¨¨¨§§§¨¨¨
¨¨§¨§§¨¨¨¨                                          §§¨¨§¨§§¨¨
¨¨¨¨§§§¨¨¨                                          ¨§§¨¨¨§§§¨
¨¨¨¨§¨§§¨¨                                          ¨§§§¨¨§¨§§
§¨¨¨¨¨§§§¨         %/«««««,,,¨  ¨,,,«««««/%         ¨§¨§§¨¨¨§§
§§¨¨¨¨§¨§§         %                      %         ¨¨¨§§§¨¨§¨
§§§¨¨¨¨¨§§         % 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!               §§¨¨§¨¨¨§§
§§¨¨¨¨¨§¨§                                          ¨§§¨¨§¨¨§¨
§§§¨¨¨¨¨¨§                                          ¨§§§¨¨§¨¨¨
§¨§§¨¨¨¨¨§                                          ¨§¨§§¨¨§¨¨
¨¨§§§¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨§§§¨¨§¨
¨¨§¨§§¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨§¨§§¨¨§