¨,«:%$####                                          ####$%:«,¨
¨¨,«:%$###                                          ###$%:«,¨¨
¨,«:%$####                                          ####$%:«,¨
¨¨,«:%$###                                          ###$%:«,¨¨
¨,«:%$####                                          ####$%:«,¨
¨¨,«:%$### in  the  endless  winter  day,  on   the ###$%:«,¨¨
¨,«:%$#### crystal  white plains... we trudge along ####$%:«,¨
¨¨,«:%$###  the train tracks... themselves slowly   ###$%:«,¨¨
¨,«:%$#### snowed over,  in  the still  hours since ####$%:«,¨
¨¨,«:%$###          the last supply train.          ###$%:«,¨¨
¨,«:%$####                                          ####$%:«,¨
¨¨,«:%$###     bell-like sounds of the blinding     ###$%:«,¨¨
¨,«:%$#### ground. rifles  attached  to  our wrist, ####$%:«,¨
¨¨,«:%$### sharing  in  our  bloodstream. my husky, ###$%:«,¨¨
¨,«:%$####      my warm-coffee-in-cold-snow...      ####$%:«,¨
¨¨,«:%$###                                          ###$%:«,¨¨
¨,«:%$#### the  first  five  shots  you  can  spend ####$%:«,¨
¨¨,«:%$### indiscriminately, they hurt  but deal no ###$%:«,¨¨
¨,«:%$#### long  time  damage  to the shooter.  the ####$%:«,¨
¨¨,«:%$### next five  you  must spend wisely,  they ###$%:«,¨¨
¨,«:%$#### will take  days to  heal. the final five ####$%:«,¨
¨¨,«:%$### you   must    not    spend    at    all. ###$%:«,¨¨
¨,«:%$####                                          ####$%:«,¨
¨¨,«:%$### weeks earlier, in  the weak autumn dawn, ###$%:«,¨¨
¨,«:%$#### in  the  blue-gray  fog...  something is ####$%:«,¨
¨¨,«:%$### burning   with  a  deep  crimson  flame, ###$%:«,¨¨
¨,«:%$####       untameable by water or wind.       ####$%:«,¨
¨¨,«:%$###                                          ###$%:«,¨¨
¨,«:%$####                                          ####$%:«,¨
¨¨,«:%$###                                          ###$%:«,¨¨
¨,«:%$####                                          ####$%:«,¨
¨¨,«:%$###                                          ###$%:«,¨¨