,,,,,-«*†$                                          $†*«-,,,,,
,,,,,,-«*†                                          †*«-,,,,,,
,,,,,,,-«*                                          *«-,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,-«                                          «-,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,,-                                          -,,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,-« in  the   endless  winter  day,  on  the «-,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,-«* crystal white plains... we trudge  along *«-,,,,,,,
,,,,,,-«*†   the train tracks... themselves slowly  †*«-,,,,,,
,,,,,-«*†$ 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.       @§$†*«-,,,
,,-«*†$§@@                                          @@§$†*«-,,
,-«*†$§@@#                                          #@@§$†*«-,
,,-«*†$§@@                                          @@§$†*«-,,
,,,-«*†$§@                                          @§$†*«-,,,
,,,,-«*†$§                                          §$†*«-,,,,