..~*^&§#@# #@#§&^*~..
..~*^&§#@# #@#§&^*~..
.....*^§## ##§^*.....
..~*^&#@## ##@#&^*~..
.~*^&§#@## ##@#§&^*~.
......~^§# 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. #&^****~..
..~*^&§##@ @##§&^*~..
......*&§# #§&*......
......~^^§ §^^~......
......*^§@ @§^*......
..~*^&§#@# #@#§&^*~..