###§§*†»,,                                          ,,»†*§§###
##§§*†»,,,                                          ,,,»†*§§##
#§§*†»,,,,                                          ,,,,»†*§§#
##§§*†»,,,                                          ,,,»†*§§##
###§§*†»,,                                          ,,»†*§§###
####§§*†», 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.       ,,,,»†*§§#
##§§*†»,,,                                          ,,,»†*§§##
###§§*†»,,                                          ,,»†*§§###
####§§*†»,                                          ,»†*§§####
###§§*†»,,                                          ,,»†*§§###
##§§*†»,,,                                          ,,,»†*§§##