¨,«:$¤¤###                                          ###¤¤$:«,¨
¨¨¨¨¨,«:$¤                                          ¤$:«,¨¨¨¨¨
¨,«:$$¤¤¤#                                          #¤¤¤$$:«,¨
¨,«:$¤¤###                                          ###¤¤$:«,¨
¨¨¨¨¨««$¤#                                          #¤$««¨¨¨¨¨
¨,«:$¤¤### in  the  endless  winter  day,   on  the ###¤¤$:«,¨
¨,«:$¤¤### crystal white plains... we  trudge along ###¤¤$:«,¨
¨,«:$¤¤###  the train tracks... themselves slowly   ###¤¤$:«,¨
¨,«:$¤¤### snowed over, in  the  still  hours since ###¤¤$:«,¨
¨,«::$$¤##          the last supply train.          ##¤$$::«,¨
¨,«:$¤¤¤##                                          ##¤¤¤$:«,¨
¨¨¨¨,::$$¤     bell-like sounds of the blinding     ¤$$::,¨¨¨¨
¨,«:$¤¤### ground.  rifles attached to  our  wrist, ###¤¤$:«,¨
¨,«:$¤¤### sharing in  our  bloodstream. my  husky, ###¤¤$:«,¨
¨,«:$¤¤###      my warm-coffee-in-cold-snow...      ###¤¤$:«,¨
¨,«:$¤¤###                                          ###¤¤$:«,¨
¨¨¨«««$¤## the  first  five  shots  you  can  spend ##¤$«««¨¨¨
¨,«:$¤¤### indiscriminately, they hurt but  deal no ###¤¤$:«,¨
¨,«:$¤¤### long  time  damage to  the shooter.  the ###¤¤$:«,¨
¨,«:¤¤#### 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, ¤¤¤:«««,¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨,«$¤#       untameable by water or wind.       #¤$«,¨¨¨¨¨
¨,«:$¤¤###                                          ###¤¤$:«,¨
¨,«««$¤¤¤#                                          #¤¤¤$«««,¨
¨,«:$¤¤###                                          ###¤¤$:«,¨
¨¨¨¨,,:$¤¤                                          ¤¤$:,,¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨«$$¤                                          ¤$$«¨¨¨¨¨¨