....-~:**# #**:~-....
...-~:**## ##**:~-...
..-~:**### ###**:~-..
.-~:**#### ####**:~-.
..-~:**### ###**:~-..
...-~:**## *:~~~~~---. .---~~~~~:* ##**:~-...
....-~:**# * * #**:~-....
.....-~:** * 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! -.........
........-~ ~-........
.......-~: :~-.......
......-~:* *:~-......
.....-~:** **:~-.....
....-~:**# #**:~-....