.:«^*%####                                          ####%*^«:.
.....:«^%#                                          #%^«:.....
.:«^*%####                                          ####%*^«:.
......:«*#                                          #*«:......
.:«^*%####                                          ####%*^«:.
.:«^*%#### 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.       #*^^^:....
.:«^*%####                                          ####%*^«:.
.:«^*%####                                          ####%*^«:.
.:«^*%####                                          ####%*^«:.
.:«^**%###                                          ###%**^«:.
.:«^*%####                                          ####%*^«:.