,,,,^^:%£@ @£%:^^,,,,
,,,,»*%%£@ @£%%*»,,,,
,^»:::*£££ £££*:::»^,
,^»:*%££££ ££££%*:»^,
,,^^»*%£££ £££%*»^^,,
,^»:*%££@# 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. @£££%*:»^,
,^»:*%%%££ ££%%%*:»^,
,^»:*%££@# #@££%*:»^,
,,,,»»:%££ ££%:»»,,,,
,,,,,^^:%£ £%:^^,,,,,
,,,,^::%%£ £%%::^,,,,