,.~:*@§@##                                          ##@§@*:~.,
,,,,,.:@§@                                          @§@:.,,,,,
,.~:*@§@##                                          ##@§@*:~.,
,.~:*@§###                                          ###§@*:~.,
,,,,,.~:@§                                          §@:~.,,,,,
,,,,,,~:*§ 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.       @@:~~.,,,,
,,.~~~***§                                          §***~~~.,,
.~:*@§@###                                          ###@§@*:~.
,.~:*@@###                                          ###@@*:~.,
,.~:*@§@##                                          ##@§@*:~.,
,.~:*@§@@@                                          @@@§@*:~.,