..^-;=&#¶#                                          #¶#&=;-^..
.^-;=&#¶##                                          ##¶#&=;-^.
..^-;=&#¶#                                          #¶#&=;-^..
...^-;=&#¶                                          ¶#&=;-^...
....^-;=&#                                          #&=;-^....
.....^-;=& 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.       #&=;-^....
...^-;=&#¶                                          ¶#&=;-^...
..^-;=&#¶#                                          #¶#&=;-^..
.^-;=&#¶##                                          ##¶#&=;-^.
..^-;=&#¶#                                          #¶#&=;-^..
...^-;=&#¶                                          ¶#&=;-^...