##§§^;«:,,                                          ,,:«;^§§##
###§§^;«:,                                          ,:«;^§§###
##§§^;«:,,                                          ,,:«;^§§##
#§§^;«:,,,                                          ,,,:«;^§§#
§§^;«:,,,,                                          ,,,,:«;^§§
§^;«:,,,,, 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.       ,,:«;^§§##
#§§^;«:,,,                                          ,,,:«;^§§#
§§^;«:,,,,                                          ,,,,:«;^§§
§^;«:,,,,,                                          ,,,,,:«;^§
§§^;«:,,,,                                          ,,,,:«;^§§
#§§^;«:,,,                                          ,,,:«;^§§#