..==**¤###                                          ###¤**==..
...==**¤##                                          ##¤**==...
....==**¤#                                          #¤**==....
.....==**¤                                          ¤**==.....
......==**                                          **==......
.......==* 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.       #¤**==....
...==**¤##                                          ##¤**==...
..==**¤###                                          ###¤**==..
...==**¤##                                          ##¤**==...
....==**¤#                                          #¤**==....
.....==**¤                                          ¤**==.....