,,«:$%&@@@                                          @@@&%$:«,,
,,,,,,,:%@                                          @%:,,,,,,,
,,«:$&@@##                                          ##@@&$:«,,
,,«:$%&&&@                                          @&&&%$:«,,
,,««««::$&                                          &$::««««,,
,,,,,,«$&@ in  the   endless  winter  day,  on  the @&$«,,,,,,
,,«:$%&@## crystal white  plains... we trudge along ##@&%$:«,,
,,«:$%&@@#  the train tracks... themselves slowly   #@@&%$:«,,
,,«:$&@@## snowed  over,  in the  still hours since ##@@&$:«,,
,,«:$%%&@@          the last supply train.          @@&%%$:«,,
,,«:$$$%&@                                          @&%$$$:«,,
,,«:$%&@@#     bell-like sounds of the blinding     #@@&%$:«,,
,,«:$%&@@# ground. rifles  attached  to  our wrist, #@@&%$:«,,
,,«:$%&@@# sharing  in our  bloodstream. my  husky, #@@&%$:«,,
,,,,,,«$%@      my warm-coffee-in-cold-snow...      @%$«,,,,,,
,,«:$%&@@@                                          @@@&%$:«,,
,,,,,«$%&@ the  first  five  shots  you  can  spend @&%$«,,,,,
,,,,,:%%@@ indiscriminately, they hurt but deal  no @@%%:,,,,,
,,«:$%&@@@ long  time damage  to  the  shooter. the @@@&%$:«,,
,,,,,«$$%@ next five  you  must spend wisely,  they @%$$«,,,,,
,,«:$%%%&@ will take days  to heal. the  final five @&%%%$:«,,
,,,,,«$&&@ you    must    not   spend    at    all. @&&$«,,,,,
,,,«::%%@@                                          @@%%::«,,,
,,,,,««$&@ weeks earlier, in the weak autumn  dawn, @&$««,,,,,
,,«:$%&@@# in the  blue-gray  fog...  something  is #@@&%$:«,,
,,«:$%&@@# burning  with  a  deep  crimson   flame, #@@&%$:«,,
,,«:$%&@@#       untameable by water or wind.       #@@&%$:«,,
,,«:$%&@@#                                          #@@&%$:«,,
,,,,«::$&@                                          @&$::«,,,,
,,,««::$$&                                          &$$::««,,,
,,,,,,::%@                                          @%::,,,,,,
,,«:$%&@@#                                          #@@&%$:«,,