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