###@%%†»,,                                          ,,»†%%@###
@%%%%»»,,,                                          ,,,»»%%%%@
###@%%†»,,                                          ,,»†%%@###
####%%†»,,                                          ,,»†%%####
##@%%%†»,,                                          ,,»†%%%@##
##%%††,,,, 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.       ,,»†%%@###
@%%%»»»»,,                                          ,,»»»»%%%@
###@%%†»,,                                          ,,»†%%@###
###@%%†»,,                                          ,,»†%%@###
##%†»,,,,,                                          ,,,,,»†%##
###@%%†»,,                                          ,,»†%%@###