.....^~^^$                                          $^^~^.....
......^~^^                                          ^^~^......
.....^~^^$                                          $^^~^.....
....^~^^$£                                          £$^^~^....
...^~^^$£@                                          @£$^^~^...
..^~^^$£@# 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.       ##@£$^^~^.
..^~^^$£@#                                          #@£$^^~^..
...^~^^$£@                                          @£$^^~^...
....^~^^$£                                          £$^^~^....
.....^~^^$                                          $^^~^.....
......^~^^                                          ^^~^......