##@@¤†=~^,                                          ,^~=†¤@@##
###@¤†=~^,                                          ,^~=†¤@###
@†~^,,,,,,                                          ,,,,,,^~†@
@@¤==^^,,,                                          ,,,^^==¤@@
####@†=~^,                                          ,^~=†@####
###@¤†=~^, 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.       ,^~=†¤@###
@@¤=~^,,,,                                          ,,,,^~=¤@@
@¤==^,,,,,                                          ,,,,,^==¤@
#@††=^^,,,                                          ,,,^^=††@#
##¤¤=~~~^,                                          ,^~~~=¤¤##
#@¤†~~~,,,                                          ,,,~~~†¤@#