~~........ ........~~
:~~....... .......~~:
*:~~...... ......~~:*
%*:~~..... .....~~:*%
@%*:~~.... ....~~:*%@
¶@%*:~~... 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. ..~~:*%@¶#
##¶@%*:~~. .~~:*%@¶##
#¶@%*:~~.. ..~~:*%@¶#
¶@%*:~~... ...~~:*%@¶
@%*:~~.... ....~~:*%@
%*:~~..... .....~~:*%