..=^§@@@##                                          ##@@@§^=..
...=^§@@@#                                          #@@@§^=...
....=^§@@@                                          @@@§^=....
...=^§@@@#                                          #@@@§^=...
..=^§@@@##                                          ##@@@§^=..
...=^§@@@# 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.       @@@§^=....
...=^§@@@#                                          #@@@§^=...
..=^§@@@##                                          ##@@@§^=..
...=^§@@@#                                          #@@@§^=...
....=^§@@@                                          @@@§^=....
...=^§@@@#                                          #@@@§^=...