~-,,,,,,,,                                          ,,,,,,,,-~
-,,,,,,,,,                                          ,,,,,,,,,-
,,,,,,,,,,                                          ,,,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,,,                                          ,,,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,,,                                          ,,,,,,,,,,
-,,,,,,,,, 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.       ,,,,,,,,-~
\~-,,,,,,,                                          ,,,,,,,-~\
†\~-,,,,,,                                          ,,,,,,-~\†
$†\~-,,,,,                                          ,,,,,-~\†$
§$†\~-,,,,                                          ,,,,-~\†$§
#§$†\~-,,,                                          ,,,-~\†$§#