#@#&%*=«.,                                          ,.«=*%&#@#
&%=.,,,,,,                                          ,,,,,,.=%&
&%=««,,,,,                                          ,,,,,««=%&
##@&%*=«.,                                          ,.«=*%&@##
@@#&%*=«.,                                          ,.«=*%&#@@
#@#&%*=«., in   the  endless  winter  day,  on  the ,.«=*%&#@#
&&&%==.,,, crystal white plains...  we trudge along ,,,.==%&&&
#%=«,,,,,,   the train tracks... themselves slowly  ,,,,,,«=%#
##@&%*=«., snowed  over, in  the still hours  since ,.«=*%&@##
#%=««..,,,          the last supply train.          ,,,..««=%#
&&*=««...,                                          ,...««=*&&
#&***«.,,,     bell-like sounds of the blinding     ,,,.«***&#
&*««,,,,,, ground. rifles  attached  to our  wrist, ,,,,,,««*&
#&%*«.,,,, sharing  in  our  bloodstream. my husky, ,,,,.«*%&#
#%=.,,,,,,      my warm-coffee-in-cold-snow...      ,,,,,,.=%#
#@#&%*=«.,                                          ,.«=*%&#@#
#@#&%*=«., the  first  five  shots  you  can  spend ,.«=*%&#@#
###&%*=«., indiscriminately,  they hurt but deal no ,.«=*%&###
#%*«,,,,,, long  time damage  to the  shooter.  the ,,,,,,«*%#
&**===««., next five you  must spend  wisely,  they ,.««===**&
#@#&%*=«., will take days to  heal.  the final five ,.«=*%&#@#
#@#&%*=«., you    must    not   spend    at    all. ,.«=*%&#@#
##@#&%*=«.                                          .«=*%&#@##
@#&%**=«., weeks  earlier, in the weak autumn dawn, ,.«=**%&#@
#@#&%*=«., in  the  blue-gray  fog... something  is ,.«=*%&#@#
&&&*««««., burning  with  a  deep  crimson   flame, ,.««««*&&&
@##&%*=«.,       untameable by water or wind.       ,.«=*%&##@
&*=««,,,,,                                          ,,,,,««=*&
#@#&%*=«.,                                          ,.«=*%&#@#
#@#&%*=«.,                                          ,.«=*%&#@#
#%%**«.,,,                                          ,,,.«**%%#
@&%=..,,,,                                          ,,,,..=%&@