##&$§*~,,,                                          ,,,~*§$&##
#&$§*~,,,,                                          ,,,,~*§$&#
##&$§*~,,,                                          ,,,~*§$&##
###&$§*~,,                                          ,,~*§$&###
##&$§*~,,,                                          ,,,~*§$&##
#&$§*~,,,, in  the  endless  winter   day,  on  the ,,,,~*§$&#
##&$§*~,,, crystal white  plains... we trudge along ,,,~*§$&##
###&$§*~,,   the train tracks... themselves slowly  ,,~*§$&###
##&$§*~,,, snowed over, in the  still  hours  since ,,,~*§$&##
#&$§*~,,,,          the last supply train.          ,,,,~*§$&#
##&$§*~,,,                                          ,,,~*§$&##
###&$§*~,,     bell-like sounds of the blinding     ,,~*§$&###
##&$§*~,,, ground.  rifles attached  to our  wrist, ,,,~*§$&##
#&$§*~,,,, sharing  in our  bloodstream. my  husky, ,,,,~*§$&#
##&$§*~,,,      my warm-coffee-in-cold-snow...      ,,,~*§$&##
###&$§*~,,                                          ,,~*§$&###
##&$§*~,,, the  first  five  shots  you  can  spend ,,,~*§$&##
#&$§*~,,,, indiscriminately, they hurt but  deal no ,,,,~*§$&#
##&$§*~,,, long  time damage  to  the  shooter. the ,,,~*§$&##
###&$§*~,, next  five  you  must spend wisely, they ,,~*§$&###
##&$§*~,,, will take days to  heal.  the final five ,,,~*§$&##
#&$§*~,,,, you   must    not    spend    at    all. ,,,,~*§$&#
##&$§*~,,,                                          ,,,~*§$&##
###&$§*~,, weeks  earlier, in the weak autumn dawn, ,,~*§$&###
##&$§*~,,, in  the blue-gray  fog...  something  is ,,,~*§$&##
#&$§*~,,,, burning  with  a  deep   crimson  flame, ,,,,~*§$&#
##&$§*~,,,       untameable by water or wind.       ,,,~*§$&##
###&$§*~,,                                          ,,~*§$&###
##&$§*~,,,                                          ,,,~*§$&##
#&$§*~,,,,                                          ,,,,~*§$&#
##&$§*~,,,                                          ,,,~*§$&##
###&$§*~,,                                          ,,~*§$&###