...~«**¤@#                                          #@¤**«~...
....~«**¤@                                          @¤**«~....
.....~«**¤                                          ¤**«~.....
......~«**                                          **«~......
.......~«*                                          *«~.......
......~«**         **«««««~~~.  .~~~«««««**         **«~......
.....~«**¤         *                      *         ¤**«~.....
....~«**¤@         * 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!               @¤**«~....
...~«**¤@#                                          #@¤**«~...
..~«**¤@##                                          ##@¤**«~..
.~«**¤@###                                          ###@¤**«~.
..~«**¤@##                                          ##@¤**«~..
...~«**¤@#                                          #@¤**«~...