££§$$*:=..                                          ..=:*$$§££
£££§$*:=..                                          ..=:*$§£££
###§$*:=..                                          ..=:*$§###
#§$**:=...                                          ...=:**$§#
#§§§$*:=..                                          ..=:*$§§§#
§§§§$*:=.. in   the  endless  winter  day,  on  the ..=:*$§§§§
£$:=...... crystal white plains...  we trudge along ......=:$£
###§$*:=..   the train tracks... themselves slowly  ..=:*$§###
#£$*::.... snowed over, in  the  still hours  since ....::*$£#
###£§$:=..          the last supply train.          ..=:$§£###
£$:=......                                          ......=:$£
£§§$$*:=..     bell-like sounds of the blinding     ..=:*$$§§£
##£§$*:=.. ground.  rifles  attached to  our wrist, ..=:*$§£##
##£§$*:=.. sharing  in our  bloodstream. my  husky, ..=:*$§£##
##£§$*:=..      my warm-coffee-in-cold-snow...      ..=:*$§£##
§$$$**:=..                                          ..=:**$$$§
£§§*:===.. the  first  five  shots  you  can  spend ..===:*§§£
##£§$*:=.. indiscriminately, they hurt but deal  no ..=:*$§£##
£$$*:..... long time  damage  to the  shooter.  the .....:*$$£
##£§$*:=.. next  five you  must spend wisely,  they ..=:*$§£##
#§$::==... will take days  to heal. the final  five ...==::$§#
###§$*:=.. you    must    not   spend    at    all. ..=:*$§###
###£$*:=..                                          ..=:*$£###
##£§$*:=.. weeks earlier, in the  weak autumn dawn, ..=:*$§£##
###§$*:=.. in  the blue-gray  fog...  something  is ..=:*$§###
§§$$::=... burning  with  a  deep  crimson   flame, ...=::$$§§
##£§$*:=..       untameable by water or wind.       ..=:*$§£##
#£§$$*:=..                                          ..=:*$$§£#
##£§$*:=..                                          ..=:*$§£##
##£§$*:=..                                          ..=:*$§£##
£$$**===..                                          ..===**$$£
§§§$$*:=..                                          ..=:*$$§§§