.......~~\ \~~.......
........~~ ~~........
.........~ ~.........
........~~ ~~........
.......~~\ \~~.......
......~~\* 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. ##@£@*\~~.
..~~\*@£@# #@£@*\~~..
...~~\*@£@ @£@*\~~...
....~~\*@£ £@*\~~....
.....~~\*@ @*\~~.....
......~~\* *\~~......