###§¤$:-,,                                          ,,-:$¤§###
###§¤$:-,,                                          ,,-:$¤§###
###§¤$:-,,                                          ,,-:$¤§###
##¤:,,,,,,                                          ,,,,,,:¤##
###§¤$:-,,                                          ,,-:$¤§###
###§¤$:-,, in  the   endless  winter  day,  on  the ,,-:$¤§###
§§$$-,,,,, crystal white  plains... we trudge along ,,,,,-$$§§
###§¤$:-,,  the train tracks... themselves slowly   ,,-:$¤§###
##§$$$:-,, snowed  over, in  the still hours  since ,,-:$$$§##
#¤:,,,,,,,          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 ,,,,::¤¤§#
###§¤$:-,, next  five  you  must spend wisely, they ,,-:$¤§###
##§¤¤$:-,, will  take days to heal. the final  five ,,-:$¤¤§##
####§¤$-,, you    must    not   spend    at    all. ,,-$¤§####
####§$:-,,                                          ,,-:$§####
###§¤$:-,, weeks  earlier, in the weak autumn dawn, ,,-:$¤§###
###§¤$:-,, in the  blue-gray  fog...  something  is ,,-:$¤§###
###§¤$:-,, burning   with  a  deep  crimson  flame, ,,-:$¤§###
§¤$--,,,,,       untameable by water or wind.       ,,,,,--$¤§
#§$--,,,,,                                          ,,,,,--$§#
###§¤$:-,,                                          ,,-:$¤§###
§§§¤$---,,                                          ,,---$¤§§§
###§¤$:-,,                                          ,,-:$¤§###
##¤¤¤$:-,,                                          ,,-:$¤¤¤##