.###.###..                                          ##.#...##.
.#.#.#.##.                                          ##..#..###
.......###                                          ###..#.#.#
#......#.#                                          #.##......
.#.......#                                          ..###.....
..#......# 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.       ..........
.#.....###                                          ..........
..#....#.#                                          #.........
...#.....#                                          ##........
....#....#                                          .##.......
.....#....                                          .###......