#§:-...... ......-:§#
@#§~-..... .....-~§#@
##@#£§:~-. .-~:§£#@##
#@@#£§:~-. .-~:§£#@@#
#@@#£§:~-. .-~:§£#@@#
#§::~-.... 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. ...--~§£#@
##@#£§:~-. .-~:§£#@##
##@#£§:~-. .-~:§£#@##
#§§~...... ......~§§#
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