§*††††==,.                                          .,==††††*§
@@%%%*†=,.                                          .,=†*%%%@@
§%*†=.....                                          .....=†*%§
#@@§%*†=,.                                          .,=†*%§@@#
#@@§%*†=,.                                          .,=†*%§@@#
§**†=..... 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.       .,=†*%§@@#
#@@§%*†=,.                                          .,=†*%§@@#
@%*†,.....                                          .....,†*%@
@§%†,,....                                          ....,,†%§@
@§§*=.....                                          .....=*§§@
#@@§%*†=,.                                          .,=†*%§@@#