...^»*=%##                                          ##%=*»^...
..^»*=%###                                          ###%=*»^..
.^»*=%####                                          ####%=*»^.
..^»*=%###                                          ###%=*»^..
...^»*=%##                                          ##%=*»^...
....^»*=%# 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.       ####%=*»^.
..^»*=%###                                          ###%=*»^..
...^»*=%##                                          ##%=*»^...
....^»*=%#                                          #%=*»^....
.....^»*=%                                          %=*»^.....
....^»*=%#                                          #%=*»^....