#@#&$*†~.¨                                          ¨.~†*$&#@#
@#&$*†~.¨¨                                          ¨¨.~†*$&#@
#&$*†~.¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨.~†*$&#
&$*†~.¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨.~†*$&
$*†~.¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨.~†*$
*†~.¨¨¨¨¨¨ 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. ¨¨¨¨¨¨.~†*
$*†~.¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨.~†*$
&$*†~.¨¨¨¨ weeks earlier, in the weak autumn  dawn, ¨¨¨¨.~†*$&
#&$*†~.¨¨¨ in the  blue-gray  fog...  something  is ¨¨¨.~†*$&#
@#&$*†~.¨¨ burning  with  a  deep   crimson  flame, ¨¨.~†*$&#@
#@#&$*†~.¨       untameable by water or wind.       ¨.~†*$&#@#
@#&$*†~.¨¨                                          ¨¨.~†*$&#@
#&$*†~.¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨.~†*$&#
&$*†~.¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨.~†*$&
$*†~.¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨.~†*$
*†~.¨¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨¨.~†*