@%^†«,,,,,                                          ,,,,,«†^%@
@@%^†«,,,,                                          ,,,,«†^%@@
#@@%^†«,,,                                          ,,,«†^%@@#
##@@%^†«,,                                          ,,«†^%@@##
#@@%^†«,,,                                          ,,,«†^%@@#
@@%^†«,,,, 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.       ,,,«†^%@@#
##@@%^†«,,                                          ,,«†^%@@##
#@@%^†«,,,                                          ,,,«†^%@@#
@@%^†«,,,,                                          ,,,,«†^%@@
@%^†«,,,,,                                          ,,,,,«†^%@
%^†«,,,,,,                                          ,,,,,,«†^%