¤$†~~.....                                          .....~~†$¤
@£$†~^....                                          ....^~†$£@
¤$:~......                                          ......~:$¤
#@£¤$†:~^.                                          .^~:†$¤£@#
@£¤¤$†:~^.                                          .^~:†$¤¤£@
#@£¤$†:~^. in  the  endless  winter  day,  on   the .^~:†$¤£@#
¤$$$†~^^^. crystal white plains...  we trudge along .^^^~†$$$¤
#@£¤$†:~^.   the train tracks... themselves slowly  .^~:†$¤£@#
#@£¤$†:~^. snowed  over,  in  the still hours since .^~:†$¤£@#
¤¤$$:^....          the last supply train.          ....^:$$¤¤
##@¤$†:~^.                                          .^~:†$¤@##
##@£$†:~^.     bell-like sounds of the blinding     .^~:†$£@##
@¤$$†~.... ground. rifles  attached  to our  wrist, ....~†$$¤@
@¤¤$:^.... sharing in  our bloodstream.  my  husky, ....^:$¤¤@
##@£$†:~^.      my warm-coffee-in-cold-snow...      .^~:†$£@##
#@£¤$†:~^.                                          .^~:†$¤£@#
##@£¤$†:^. the  first  five  shots  you  can  spend .^:†$¤£@##
¤¤†:^..... 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, ......~†¤£
#@£¤$†:~^. in  the  blue-gray fog...  something  is .^~:†$¤£@#
@@£¤$†:~^. burning   with  a  deep  crimson  flame, .^~:†$¤£@@
##£¤$†:~^.       untameable by water or wind.       .^~:†$¤£##
#@£¤$†:~^.                                          .^~:†$¤£@#
@@£¤$†:~^.                                          .^~:†$¤£@@
£$::~^....                                          ....^~::$£
#@£¤$†:~^.                                          .^~:†$¤£@#
£$:~^^^...                                          ...^^^~:$£