####%$†~-¨                                          ¨-~†$%####
##%††----¨                                          ¨----††%##
##$~¨¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨¨~$##
####%$†~-¨                                          ¨-~†$%####
#%†~¨¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨¨~†%#
##$$$~-¨¨¨ in  the  endless   winter  day,  on  the ¨¨¨-~$$$##
####%$†~-¨ crystal  white plains... we trudge along ¨-~†$%####
####%$†~-¨  the train tracks... themselves slowly   ¨-~†$%####
##%$$††~-¨ snowed over,  in the  still  hours since ¨-~††$$%##
####%$†~-¨          the last supply train.          ¨-~†$%####
###%††-¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨-††%###
####%$†~-¨     bell-like sounds of the blinding     ¨-~†$%####
##$†-¨¨¨¨¨ ground. rifles  attached  to our  wrist, ¨¨¨¨¨-†$##
###%††~¨¨¨ 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, ¨---~††%%#
####%$†~-¨       untameable by water or wind.       ¨-~†$%####
####%$†~-¨                                          ¨-~†$%####
#####%$†~-                                          -~†$%#####
#$~-¨¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨¨-~$#
##%$†~¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨~†$%##
####%$†~-¨                                          ¨-~†$%####