..-~/*¤@## ##@¤*/~-..
...-~/*¤@# #@¤*/~-...
....-~/*¤@ @¤*/~-....
.....-~/*¤ ¤*/~-.....
......-~/* */~-......
.......-~/ 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. ..........
.........- -.........
........-~ ~-........
.......-~/ /~-.......
......-~/* */~-......
.....-~/*¤ ¤*/~-.....