%†\-~¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨~-\†%
£%†\-~¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨~-\†%£
#£%†\-~¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨~-\†%£#
##£%†\-~¨¨                                          ¨¨~-\†%£##
###£%†\-~¨                                          ¨~-\†%£###
##£%†\-~¨¨ 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.       ¨~-\†%£###
##£%†\-~¨¨                                          ¨¨~-\†%£##
#£%†\-~¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨~-\†%£#
£%†\-~¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨~-\†%£
%†\-~¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨~-\†%
†\-~¨¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨¨~-\†