#$$$=~....                                          ....~=$$$#
#&$$$*=~:.                                          .:~=*$$$&#
#&*=~~~...                                          ...~~~=*&#
#&*=:.....                                          .....:=*&#
###&$*=~:.                                          .:~=*$&###
##$=~~.... in  the  endless  winter  day,   on  the ....~~=$##
###&$*=~:. crystal white plains... we  trudge along .:~=*$&###
&&$==:....  the train tracks... themselves slowly   ....:==$&&
###&$*=~:. snowed over,  in  the  still hours since .:~=*$&###
&*==:.....          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...      .:~=*&####
&*==:.....                                          .....:==*&
###&$*=~:. the  first  five  shots  you  can  spend .:~=*$&###
#$***~.... indiscriminately, they hurt  but deal no ....~***$#
###&$*=~:. long  time  damage  to the  shooter. the .:~=*$&###
###&$*=~:. next five you  must  spend  wisely, they .:~=*$&###
###&$*=~:. will take  days to heal. the  final five .:~=*$&###
#&&$$*=~:. you   must    not    spend    at    all. .:~=*$$&&#
###&$*=~:.                                          .:~=*$&###
###&$*=~:. weeks earlier, in the weak autumn  dawn, .:~=*$&###
###&$*=~:. in  the  blue-gray  fog...  something is .:~=*$&###
#$=~~..... burning  with  a  deep  crimson   flame, .....~~=$#
#$=:::....       untameable by water or wind.       ....:::=$#
#&$$==~...                                          ...~==$$&#
#$*~......                                          ......~*$#
&&$=:.....                                          .....:=$&&
###&$*=~:.                                          .:~=*$&###
###&$*=~:.                                          .:~=*$&###