$*/~^,,,,,                                          ,,,,,^~/*$
&$*/~^,,,,                                          ,,,,^~/*$&
#&$*/~^,,,                                          ,,,^~/*$&#
##&$*/~^,,                                          ,,^~/*$&##
###&$*/~^,                                          ,^~/*$&###
##&$*/~^,, in  the  endless  winter   day,  on  the ,,^~/*$&##
#&$*/~^,,, crystal white plains... we  trudge along ,,,^~/*$&#
&$*/~^,,,,  the train tracks... themselves slowly   ,,,,^~/*$&
$*/~^,,,,, snowed  over,  in  the still hours since ,,,,,^~/*$
*/~^,,,,,,          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.       ,,,,,,,^~/
~^,,,,,,,,                                          ,,,,,,,,^~
^,,,,,,,,,                                          ,,,,,,,,,^
~^,,,,,,,,                                          ,,,,,,,,^~
/~^,,,,,,,                                          ,,,,,,,^~/
*/~^,,,,,,                                          ,,,,,,^~/*