.....«§*##                                          ##*§«.....
..«=§*####                                          ####*§=«..
..«=§*####                                          ####*§=«..
..«=§*####                                          ####*§=«..
..«=§*####                                          ####*§=«..
.....=§### 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.       ####*§=«..
.....=§###                                          ###§=.....
..«=§*####                                          ####*§=«..
..«=§*####                                          ####*§=«..
..«=§*####                                          ####*§=«..
...«==**##                                          ##**==«...