#@#§$^=-,.                                          .,-=^$§#@#
§§^--.....                                          .....--^§§
#@#§$^=-,.                                          .,-=^$§#@#
#@#§$^=-,.                                          .,-=^$§#@#
#§^=,.....                                          .....,=^§#
§^-....... 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.       ......-^§§
@§§^=,....                                          ....,=^§§@
###§$^=-,.                                          .,-=^$§###
###§$^=-,.                                          .,-=^$§###
#@#§$^=-,.                                          .,-=^$§#@#
§^==---...                                          ...---==^§