.-«=*&@@##                                          ##@@&*=«-.
.-«=*&@@##                                          ##@@&*=«-.
.-«=*&@@##                                          ##@@&*=«-.
.-«=*&@@##                                          ##@@&*=«-.
.-«=*&@@##                                          ##@@&*=«-.
....-==&@# 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.       ##@@&*=«-.
.-«=*&&&@#                                          #@&&&*=«-.
....--«=*@                                          @*=«--....
.-«=*&@@##                                          ##@@&*=«-.
.-«=*&@@##                                          ##@@&*=«-.
.-«««=*@@@                                          @@@*=«««-.