£%///~^...                                          ...^~///%£
#@£§%*/~^.                                          .^~/*%§£@#
§§*~^.....                                          .....^~*§§
#@£§%*/~^.                                          .^~/*%§£@#
#@£§%*/~^.                                          .^~/*%§£@#
@@£§%*/~^. 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.       .^~/*§£@##
@§%/~.....                                          .....~/%§@
@@£§%*/~^.                                          .^~/*%§£@@
§§%*~^....                                          ....^~*%§§
#@£§%*/~^.                                          .^~/*%§£@#
##@§%*/~^.                                          .^~/*%§@##