#£#§*†~,,,                                          ,,,~†*§#£#
##£#§*†~,,                                          ,,~†*§#£##
#£#§*†~,,,                                          ,,,~†*§#£#
£#§*†~,,,,                                          ,,,,~†*§#£
#§*†~,,,,,                                          ,,,,,~†*§#
§*†~,,,,,, 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.       ,,,~†*§#£#
£#§*†~,,,,                                          ,,,,~†*§#£
#§*†~,,,,,                                          ,,,,,~†*§#
§*†~,,,,,,                                          ,,,,,,~†*§
*†~,,,,,,,                                          ,,,,,,,~†*
†~,,,,,,,,                                          ,,,,,,,,~†