¨¨¨¨¨¨¨&&&                                          &¨¨¨¨¨¨¨&¨
&&&&&&¨¨&&                                          ¨¨&&&&&¨¨¨
¨&&&&¨¨¨¨¨                                          &¨¨&&&¨¨&¨
¨¨&&¨¨&&&&                                          ¨¨¨¨&¨¨¨¨¨
&¨¨¨¨¨¨&&&                                          ¨&&¨¨¨&&&&
¨¨&&&&¨¨&& 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.       &¨¨¨¨&&&&¨
¨¨¨¨&&&&&&                                          ¨¨&&¨¨&&¨¨
&&&¨¨&&&&&                                          ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨&
&&¨¨¨¨&&&&                                          &&&&&&&&¨¨
¨¨¨&&¨¨&&&                                          ¨&&&&&&¨¨¨
&&¨¨¨¨¨¨&&                                          ¨¨&&&&¨¨&&