..~«=^¤#@# #@#¤^=«~..
...~«=^¤#@ @#¤^=«~...
..~«=^¤#@# #@#¤^=«~..
.~«=^¤#@## ##@#¤^=«~.
..~«=^¤#@# #@#¤^=«~..
...~«=^¤#@ 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. #@#¤^=«~..
.~«=^¤#@## ##@#¤^=«~.
..~«=^¤#@# #@#¤^=«~..
...~«=^¤#@ @#¤^=«~...
..~«=^¤#@# #@#¤^=«~..
.~«=^¤#@## ##@#¤^=«~.