.~=*†%&###                                          ###&%†*=~.
.....~**†&                                          &†**~.....
.~=*†%&###                                          ###&%†*=~.
.~=*†%&&&#                                          #&&&%†*=~.
......=†&#                                          #&†=......
.....~*†%&         †*=====~~~.  .~~~=====*†         &%†*~.....
.~=*†%&###         †                      †         ###&%†*=~.
.....~*%&#         † 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!              ###&%†*=~.
.~=*†%&###                                          ###&%†*=~.
.....~**%&                                          &%**~.....
...~**†&&#                                          #&&†**~...
.~=*†%&###                                          ###&%†*=~.
......~=†&                                          &†=~......