#####.#..#                                          ###......#
....###.##                                          ..#.....#.
...#..##..                                          .##....##.
..##.#.#..                                          #.#...#.#.
.#.#####.#                                          ###..####.
###....### 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.       .###..#.##
#...#.#.#.                                          #..#.###.#
#..######.                                          #.###..##.
#.#.....##                                          ##..#.#.##
###....#.#                                          .#.#####..
..#...###.                                          ###....#.#