#@#£%§^»,.                                          .,»^§%£#@#
#@#£%§^»,.                                          .,»^§%£#@#
£%§§»,....                                          ....,»§§%£
#@#£%§^»,.                                          .,»^§%£#@#
#£%%§§^»,.                                          .,»^§§%%£#
#@#£%§^»,. 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.       .,»^§%£###
@@#£%§^»,.                                          .,»^§%£#@@
#%§»»»,,,.                                          .,,,»»»§%#
##@#%§^»,.                                          .,»^§%#@##
#@#£%§^»,.                                          .,»^§%£#@#
#%%^^,....                                          ....,^^%%#