......~=:* *:=~......
.....~=:*& &*:=~.....
....~=:*&¤ ¤&*:=~....
...~=:*&¤£ £¤&*:=~...
..~=:*&¤£# #£¤&*:=~..
.~=:*&¤£## 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. *:=~......
.......~=: :=~.......
........~= =~........
.........~ ~.........
........~= =~........
.......~=: :=~.......