\»~.......                                          .......~»\
†\»~......                                          ......~»\†
$†\»~.....                                          .....~»\†$
¤$†\»~....                                          ....~»\†$¤
#¤$†\»~...                                          ...~»\†$¤#
##¤$†\»~.. in  the  endless  winter  day,   on  the ..~»\†$¤##
###¤$†\»~. crystal white plains... we  trudge along .~»\†$¤###
##¤$†\»~..  the train tracks... themselves slowly   ..~»\†$¤##
#¤$†\»~... snowed  over,  in the  still hours since ...~»\†$¤#
¤$†\»~....          the last supply train.          ....~»\†$¤
$†\»~.....                                          .....~»\†$
†\»~......     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 ......~»\†
$†\»~..... long  time  damage to  the shooter.  the .....~»\†$
¤$†\»~.... next five you  must  spend wisely,  they ....~»\†$¤
#¤$†\»~... will take days to  heal. the  final five ...~»\†$¤#
##¤$†\»~.. you    must   not    spend    at    all. ..~»\†$¤##
###¤$†\»~.                                          .~»\†$¤###
##¤$†\»~.. weeks earlier,  in the weak autumn dawn, ..~»\†$¤##
#¤$†\»~... in  the blue-gray  fog...  something  is ...~»\†$¤#
¤$†\»~.... burning  with  a  deep   crimson  flame, ....~»\†$¤
$†\»~.....       untameable by water or wind.       .....~»\†$
†\»~......                                          ......~»\†
\»~.......                                          .......~»\
»~........                                          ........~»
~.........                                          .........~
»~........                                          ........~»