###§*%\~,.                                          .,~\%*§###
#**\~.....                                          .....~\**#
§%%\\\\~,.                                          .,~\\\\%%§
#*%~......                                          ......~%*#
#§§%%%\~,.                                          .,~\%%%§§#
###§*%\~,. 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.       ...,~~~%§#
###§*%\~,.                                          .,~\%*§###
###§*%\~,.                                          .,~\%*§###
#§*\,.....                                          .....,\*§#
#§*\\~,...                                          ...,~\\*§#
##*%~,....                                          ....,~%*##