..~=*%¤###                                          ###¤%*=~..
.....~*¤¤#                                          #¤¤*~.....
.......=%¤                                          ¤%=.......
..~=*%¤###                                          ###¤%*=~..
..~=*%¤###                                          ###¤%*=~..
.....=*¤¤# 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.       ##¤%%*=~..
..~=*%¤###                                          ###¤%*=~..
..~=*%¤¤¤¤                                          ¤¤¤¤%*=~..
..~=*%¤###                                          ###¤%*=~..
..~=*%¤###                                          ###¤%*=~..
..~=*%####                                          ####%*=~..