,##,,,,#,#                                          ,,,,#,#,,,
,#,#,,,###                                          ,,,,####,,
,####,,#,,                                          ,,,,#,,,#,
,#,,,#,##,                                          #,,,##,,##
###,,###,#                                          ##,,#,#,#,
#,,#,#,,## 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.       ##,,##,#,,
,#,,#,,,,,                                          #,#,#,###,
,##,##,,,,                                          #######,,#
##,##,#,,,                                          ,,,,,,,#,#
,,##,###,,                                          ,,,,,,,###
#,#,##,,#,                                          #,,,,,,#,,