¨¨¨¨~^§§§@ @§§§^~¨¨¨¨
¨---~^***@ @***^~---¨
¨-~^§*@@## ##@@*§^~-¨
¨-~^§*@@## ##@@*§^~-¨
¨¨¨¨-^**@@ @@**^-¨¨¨¨
¨-~^§*@@@# 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. ##@@*§^~-¨
¨-~^§*@@## ##@@*§^~-¨
¨-~^§*@@## ##@@*§^~-¨
¨-~^§*@@## ##@@*§^~-¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨~§*@ @*§~¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨-~^§*@@@@ @@@@*§^~-¨