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