.^=:=%¶###                                          ###¶%=:=^.
..^=:=%¶##                                          ##¶%=:=^..
...^=:=%¶#                                          #¶%=:=^...
..^=:=%¶##                                          ##¶%=:=^..
.^=:=%¶###                                          ###¶%=:=^.
..^=:=%¶## 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.       #¶%=:=^...
..^=:=%¶##                                          ##¶%=:=^..
.^=:=%¶###                                          ###¶%=:=^.
..^=:=%¶##                                          ##¶%=:=^..
...^=:=%¶#                                          #¶%=:=^...
..^=:=%¶##                                          ##¶%=:=^..