.^~\=£@@##                                          ##@@£=\~^.
.^~\=£@#@@                                          @@#@£=\~^.
.^~\=£@##@                                          @##@£=\~^.
.^~\=£@@##                                          ##@@£=\~^.
....^~=@##                                          ##@=~^....
.....^~=@# 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.       #@£\^^....
.^~\=£#@##                                          ##@#£=\~^.
.^~\=£@###                                          ###@£=\~^.
...^~~=££#                                          #££=~~^...
..^^\===@#                                          #@===\^^..
.^~\=£@###                                          ###@£=\~^.