.^==$££¶@#                                          #@¶££$==^.
.....^^=$£                                          £$=^^.....
.^==$£¶@##                                          ##@¶£$==^.
.==$££¶@##                                          ##@¶££$==.
.^==$££¶@@                                          @@¶££$==^.
.^==$£££¶@ in  the   endless  winter  day,  on  the @¶£££$==^.
..^^==$£££ crystal white  plains... we trudge along £££$==^^..
.^==$££¶@#   the train tracks... themselves slowly  #@¶££$==^.
......==££ 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. ££$$$==...
......^=£¶                                          ¶£=^......
.^==$££¶@@ weeks earlier, in  the weak autumn dawn, @@¶££$==^.
.^==$££¶¶@ in  the  blue-gray fog...  something  is @¶¶££$==^.
.^==$££¶¶¶ burning  with  a  deep   crimson  flame, ¶¶¶££$==^.
.^==$££¶@#       untameable by water or wind.       #@¶££$==^.
.^==$££¶@@                                          @@¶££$==^.
.^===$$£¶@                                          @¶£$$===^.
.^==££¶@##                                          ##@¶££==^.
...===$££@                                          @££$===...
...^===$£@                                          @£$===^...