£##%\~....                                          ....~\%##£
£$\\~~:...                                          ...:~~\\$£
@@£#$%\~:.                                          .:~\%$#£@@
#@£#$%\~:.                                          .:~\%$#£@#
@@£#$%\~:.                                          .:~\%$#£@@
££$$%~.... in  the  endless   winter  day,  on  the ....~%$$££
££#%%\~~:. 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.       .:~\%$#£@#
#$%~......                                          ......~%$#
#@£#$%\~:.                                          .:~\%$#£@#
££##$%\~:.                                          .:~\%$##££
£$$\\\:...                                          ...:\\\$$£
####$%\~:.                                          .:~\%$####