¨^~**@@### ###@@**~^¨
¨¨¨¨¨^*¤@# #@¤*^¨¨¨¨¨
¨^~**¤@### ###@¤**~^¨
¨¨¨¨¨~*¤¤@ @¤¤*~¨¨¨¨¨
¨^~**¤@@@@ @@@@¤**~^¨
¨¨¨¨¨^**@@ 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. #@@@¤**~^¨
¨¨^^~*¤¤@@ @@¤¤*~^^¨¨
¨^~**¤@@## ##@@¤**~^¨
¨^~**¤@@## ##@@¤**~^¨
¨^~**¤@@## ##@@¤**~^¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨~*@@ @@*~¨¨¨¨¨¨