¨^^~~//^¤&                                          &¤^//~~^^¨
¨^~/^¤&@##                                          ##@&¤^/~^¨
¨^~///¤¤@@                                          @@¤¤///~^¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨^/^&                                          &^/^¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨^~/^&@###                                          ###@&^/~^¨
¨^~/^¤&@## 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.       ##@&¤^/~^¨
¨^~/^¤&@@@                                          @@@&¤^/~^¨
¨^~/^¤&&@#                                          #@&&¤^/~^¨
¨^~/^¤&@##                                          ##@&¤^/~^¨
¨^~/^¤&@##                                          ##@&¤^/~^¨
¨¨¨¨¨^~~^&                                          &^~~^¨¨¨¨¨