..#.#..#.#                                          ...###.#.#
.####.###.                                          ..#..#####
#...##..#.                                          .##.#....#
#..#.#.##.                                          #.###...#.
#.#####.##                                          ##..#..###
##....##.# 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.       ##..#.#..#
.#...#.###                                          .#.####.##
##..###..#                                          ###...##.#
.#.#..#.#.                                          ..#..#.##.
####.#####                                          .##.###.#.
...##....#                                          #.##..####