¶¶%:»:¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨:»:%¶¶
¶¶%%=»¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨»=%%¶¶
##¶¤%=:»:¨ ¨:»:=%¤¶##
¤%=»»:¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨:»»=%¤
¶%====:»:¨ ¨:»:====%¶
###¤%=:»:¨ 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. ¨:»:=%¤¶##
##¶¤%=:»:¨ ¨:»:=%¤¶##
##¶¤%=:»:¨ ¨:»:=%¤¶##
#¶¶¤%=:»:¨ ¨:»:=%¤¶¶#
###¤%=:»:¨ ¨:»:=%¤###
¶¶¶¤%=:»:¨ ¨:»:=%¤¶¶¶