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