.^~/=¤¤¤¤#                                          #¤¤¤¤=/~^.
.^~/=¤¤¤@@                                          @@¤¤¤=/~^.
.^~/=¤¤@##                                          ##@¤¤=/~^.
.^~/=¤¤@##                                          ##@¤¤=/~^.
.^~/=¤¤@##                                          ##@¤¤=/~^.
...^^~~/¤¤ 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.       ##@¤¤=/~^.
......^/¤@                                          @¤/^......
...~/===¤¤                                          ¤¤===/~...
......~==¤                                          ¤==~......
.....^/=¤@                                          @¤=/^.....
.^~/=¤¤@@#                                          #@@¤¤=/~^.