#@&==--,,,                                          ,,,--==&@#
@&==--,,,,                                          ,,,,--==&@
&==--,,,,,                                          ,,,,,--==&
==--,,,,,,                                          ,,,,,,--==
=--,,,,,,,                                          ,,,,,,,--=
--,,,,,,,, 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.       ,,,,,,,,,-
--,,,,,,,,                                          ,,,,,,,,--
=--,,,,,,,                                          ,,,,,,,--=
==--,,,,,,                                          ,,,,,,--==
&==--,,,,,                                          ,,,,,--==&
@&==--,,,,                                          ,,,,--==&@