,,,,,^~%§§                                          §§%~^,,,,,
,,,^~%%$##                                          ##$%%~^,,,
,^~^%$§###                                          ###§$%^~^,
,,^^^^$§§#                                          #§§$^^^^,,
,^~^%$§###                                          ###§$%^~^,
,,,,,,~%§# 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.       ##§%%^^~^,
,,,^~^^$$#                                          #$$^^~^,,,
,,,,~^^$$#                                          #$$^^~,,,,
,,^^~%%$##                                          ##$%%~^^,,
,,,,^~%§##                                          ##§%~^,,,,
,^~^%$§###                                          ###§$%^~^,