#§%=:::,,,                                          ,,,:::=%§#
##¶§%*=«:,                                          ,:«=*%§¶##
§*«,,,,,,,                                          ,,,,,,,«*§
###¶§%*=«:                                          :«=*%§¶###
¶§§%=«:,,,                                          ,,,:«=%§§¶
§§§*«::,,, 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.       ,,::«==%§¶
¶¶%%*«,,,,                                          ,,,,«*%%¶¶
##¶§%*=«:,                                          ,:«=*%§¶##
#§*«:,,,,,                                          ,,,,,:«*§#
#§%==«««:,                                          ,:«««==%§#
##¶§%*=«:,                                          ,:«=*%§¶##