,,,,^^^^†&                                          &†^^^^,,,,
,^«^†$&@@#                                          #@@&$†^«^,
,^«^††$$&@                                          @&$$††^«^,
,^«^†$&@@#                                          #@@&$†^«^,
,^«^†$&@##                                          ##@&$†^«^,
,^«^†$&@@# in  the  endless  winter   day,  on  the #@@&$†^«^,
,^«^†$&@@# crystal white plains... we  trudge along #@@&$†^«^,
,^«^†$&@@@   the train tracks... themselves slowly  @@@&$†^«^,
,^«^†$&@@# snowed over, in  the still  hours  since #@@&$†^«^,
,^«««^$$$@          the last supply train.          @$$$^«««^,
,^«^†$&@##                                          ##@&$†^«^,
,^«^†$&@@#     bell-like sounds of the blinding     #@@&$†^«^,
,^«^†$&@@# ground.  rifles  attached  to our wrist, #@@&$†^«^,
,,,,«†$$&& sharing  in  our  bloodstream. my husky, &&$$†«,,,,
,^«^†$&@@#      my warm-coffee-in-cold-snow...      #@@&$†^«^,
,,,,,^«††&                                          &††«^,,,,,
,^«^†$&@@# the  first  five  shots  you  can  spend #@@&$†^«^,
,^«^†$&@@# indiscriminately, they hurt  but deal no #@@&$†^«^,
,^«^†$&@@# long  time  damage  to the shooter.  the #@@&$†^«^,
,,,,,«^$&@ next five you  must spend  wisely,  they @&$^«,,,,,
,^«^†$&@@# will take  days to heal. the final  five #@@&$†^«^,
,^«^†$&@@# you    must    not    spend   at    all. #@@&$†^«^,
,^«^†$&@##                                          ##@&$†^«^,
,^«^†$&&&@ weeks earlier,  in the weak autumn dawn, @&&&$†^«^,
,,,,,^«^$& in  the  blue-gray fog...  something  is &$^«^,,,,,
,^«^†$&@@@ burning  with  a  deep   crimson  flame, @@@&$†^«^,
,,,,«^†&&&       untameable by water or wind.       &&&†^«,,,,
,^«^†$&@@#                                          #@@&$†^«^,
,^«^†$&@@#                                          #@@&$†^«^,
,^«^†$&@@@                                          @@@&$†^«^,
,^«^†$&@@#                                          #@@&$†^«^,
,^«^†$&@@#                                          #@@&$†^«^,