..&&.&&.&& &.&.&.&&&.
..&&.&&.&. &.....&.&&
&.&&.&&... .&......&&
&.&&.&&&.. ..&.....&.
..&&.&.&&. ...&......
..&&...&&& 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. .&&&..&...
..&.....&& .&.&&..&..
...&....&. ...&&&..&.
....&..... &..&.&&..&
&....&.... &&...&&&..
.&....&... &&&..&.&&.