§%---¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨---%§
@@§%--¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨--%§@@
#@@§¤%;--¨                                          ¨--;%¤§@@#
##@§¤%;--¨                                          ¨--;%¤§@##
@@§§¤%;--¨                                          ¨--;%¤§§@@
#@@§¤%;--¨ 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.       ¨¨¨¨-;;%¤@
§¤%%--¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨--%%¤§
#@@§¤%;--¨                                          ¨--;%¤§@@#
@¤%%--¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨--%%¤@
@@@§¤%;--¨                                          ¨--;%¤§@@@
#@@§¤%;--¨                                          ¨--;%¤§@@#