,,,,,^~%§§ §§%~^,,,,,
,,,^~%%$## ##$%%~^,,,
,^~^%$§### ###§$%^~^,
,,^^^^$§§# #§§$^^^^,,
,^~^%$§### ###§$%^~^,
,,,,,,~%§# 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, ##§%^^^~^,
,,,,,~%%$# my warm-coffee-in-cold-snow... #$%%~,,,,,
,^~^%§#### ####§%^~^,
,^~^%$§### the first five shots you can spend ###§$%^~^,
,^~^%$§### indisciminatory, they hurt but deal no ###§$%^~^,
^~^%$§#### long time damage to the wielder. the ####§$%^~^
,,,,^^%$## next five you must spend wisely, they ##$%^^,,,,
,^~^%$§### will take days to heal. the next five ###§$%^~^,
,^~^%$§### you must not spend at all. ###§$%^~^,
,,,~~%%$$§ §$$%%~~,,,
,^~^%$§### weeks earlier, in the weak autumn dawn, ###§$%^~^,
,^~^%$§### in the blue-gray fog... something is ###§$%^~^,
,^~^%$§### burning with a deep crimson flame, ###§$%^~^,
,^~^^%%§## untameable by water or wind. ##§%%^^~^,
,,,^~^^$$# #$$^^~^,,,
,,,,~^^$$# #$$^^~,,,,
,,^^~%%$## ##$%%~^^,,
,,,,^~%§## ##§%~^,,,,
,^~^%$§### ###§$%^~^,