.--=^¤¤#@#                                          #@#¤¤^=--.
.--=^¤¤¤¤#                                          #¤¤¤¤^=--.
.....--=¤#                                          #¤=--.....
......-^¤¤                                          ¤¤^-......
.....-=^¤#                                          #¤^=-.....
...-===^¤@ 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.       #¤¤¤^----.
......-=¤¤                                          ¤¤=-......
.--=^¤¤##@                                          @##¤¤^=--.
......-=¤#                                          #¤=-......
..--=^^^¤#                                          #¤^^^=--..
...---^¤¤@                                          @¤¤^---...