,:~:%#¶@## ##@¶#%:~:,
,,,,~:%##¶ ¶##%:~,,,,
,:~~~~::%¶ ¶%::~~~~:,
,:~:%%#¶@# #@¶#%%:~:,
,:~:%%#¶@# #@¶#%%:~:,
,:~:%%#¶@# 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. @@¶#%%:~:,
,,,,,:::%# #%:::,,,,,
,:~::%%%%¶ ¶%%%%::~:,
,,,:~:%%¶¶ ¶¶%%:~:,,,
,,,:~~%%#¶ ¶#%%~~:,,,
,,::~~%##¶ ¶##%~~::,,