,^««««:†$&                                          &$†:««««^,
,^:†$&#@##                                          ##@#&$†:^,
,^«:†$&#@#                                          #@#&$†:«^,
,^«:†$&#@#                                          #@#&$†:«^,
,,,^^^«:$#                                          #$:«^^^,,,
,^«:†$&@## in  the  endless  winter   day,  on  the ##@&$†:«^,
,,,,,^^:$& crystal white  plains... we trudge along &$:^^,,,,,
,,^^^«:$$#   the train tracks... themselves slowly  #$$:«^^^,,
,,,,,,«†$& snowed  over,  in the still hours  since &$†«,,,,,,
,^«:†$&#@#          the last supply train.          #@#&$†:«^,
,^«:†$&#@#                                          #@#&$†:«^,
,,,,,,«†&@     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 ##@#&†:«^,
,^«:†$&#@# burning  with  a  deep  crimson   flame, #@#&$†:«^,
,^«:†$&#@@       untameable by water or wind.       @@#&$†:«^,
,^«:†$&#@#                                          #@#&$†:«^,
,^««««:†&#                                          #&†:««««^,
,,,,^^^«†&                                          &†«^^^,,,,
,,,,^::$#@                                          @#$::^,,,,
,^«:†$&#@#                                          #@#&$†:«^,