####§§/~,,                                          ,,~/§§####
####§§/~,,                                          ,,~/§§####
###§//~~,,                                          ,,~~//§###
###§///~,,                                          ,,~///§###
####§§/~,,                                          ,,~/§§####
####§§/~,, 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.       ,,~/§§####
##§§/,,,,,                                          ,,,,,/§§##
##§§/,,,,,                                          ,,,,,/§§##
####§§/~,,                                          ,,~/§§####
####§§/~,,                                          ,,~/§§####
####§§/~,,                                          ,,~/§§####