.....~~\*@ @*\~~.....
....~~\*@§ §@*\~~....
...~~\*@§# #§@*\~~...
..~~\*@§## ##§@*\~~..
.~~\*@§### ###§@*\~~.
..~~\*@§## 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. @*\~~.....
......~~\* *\~~......
.......~~\ \~~.......
........~~ ~~........
.........~ ~.........
.......... ..........