@@@@%*:=^¨                                          ¨^=:*%@@@@
#@@@%*:=^¨                                          ¨^=:*%@@@#
##@@%*:=^¨                                          ¨^=:*%@@##
@@@@%*:=^¨                                          ¨^=:*%@@@@
@@@@%*:=^¨                                          ¨^=:*%@@@@
#@@@%*:=^¨ 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.       ¨^=:*%@@@#
@@@@%*:=^¨                                          ¨^=:*%@@@@
@*=^¨¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨¨^=*@
##@@@%*:=^                                          ^=:*%@@@##
#@@@%*:=^¨                                          ¨^=:*%@@@#
@@%%**:=^¨                                          ¨^=:**%%@@