§†=..,,,,,                                          ,,,,,..=†§
###@£†=~.,                                          ,.~=†£@###
##@§£†=~.,                                          ,.~=†£§@##
##@§£†=~.,                                          ,.~=†£§@##
#§£†~,,,,,                                          ,,,,,~†£§#
@§†††~~,,, 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.       ,.~=†£§§§§
§§£££†=~.,                                          ,.~=†£££§§
###§£†=~.,                                          ,.~=†£§###
@§£££†=~.,                                          ,.~=†£££§@
#§†==~.,,,                                          ,,,.~==†§#
@£££=~,,,,                                          ,,,,~=£££@