.....~=\=§                                          §=\=~.....
......~=\=                                          =\=~......
.......~=\                                          \=~.......
........~=                                          =~........
.........~                                          ~.........
.......... 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.       \=~.......
........~=                                          =~........
.........~                                          ~.........
..........                                          ..........
..........                                          ..........
..........                                          ..........