#,,,#,,###                                          ,,#,##,###
,#,,##,#,,                                          ,,###,##,,
,##,#,###,                                          #,#,,##,#,
,#,####,,#                                          ####,#,###
####,,,#,#                                          #,,,####,,
#,,,#,,### 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.       ##,,###,#,
##,,,,,#,#                                          ,,#,#,,###
,,#,,,,###                                          #,####,#,,
,,##,,,#,,                                          ###,,,###,
,,#,#,,##,                                          #,,#,,#,,#
#,####,#,#                                          ##,##,##,#