¨§¨¨¨¨§§¨¨                                          ¨§§§¨§§¨¨¨
¨¨§¨¨¨§§§¨                                          ¨§¨§¨§§§¨¨
¨¨¨§¨¨§¨§§                                          ¨¨¨¨¨§¨§§¨
¨¨¨¨§¨¨¨§§                                          ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨§§§
§¨¨¨¨§¨¨§¨                                          §¨¨¨¨¨¨§¨§
§§¨¨¨¨§¨¨¨         %^=====,,,¨  ¨,,,=====^%         ¨§¨¨¨¨¨¨¨§
¨§§¨¨¨¨§¨¨         %                      %         ¨¨§¨¨¨¨¨¨§
¨§§§¨¨¨¨§¨         % 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!              ¨§¨¨¨¨¨¨¨§
¨§§§¨¨§¨¨¨                                          ¨¨§¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨§¨§§¨¨§¨¨                                          ¨¨¨§¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨§§§¨¨§¨                                          ¨¨¨¨§¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨§¨§§¨¨§                                          ¨¨¨¨¨§¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨§§§¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨¨§¨¨¨