,,,=**%&@# #@&%**=,,,
,,,,=**%&@ @&%**=,,,,
,,,,,=**%& &%**=,,,,,
,,,,,,=**% %**=,,,,,,
,,,,,,,=** **=,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,=* 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. =,,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,,, ,,,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,,, ,,,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,,, ,,,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,,, ,,,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,,, ,,,,,,,,,,