..«;%*####                                          ####*%;«..
...«;%*###                                          ###*%;«...
....«;%*##                                          ##*%;«....
.....«;%*#                                          #*%;«.....
......«;%*                                          *%;«......
.......«;% 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.       ;«........
.......«;%                                          %;«.......
......«;%*                                          *%;«......
.....«;%*#                                          #*%;«.....
....«;%*##                                          ##*%;«....
...«;%*###                                          ###*%;«...