¤*^~,,,,,,                                          ,,,,,,~^*¤
##@¤**^~^,                                          ,^~^**¤@##
@@¤¤**^~^,                                          ,^~^**¤¤@@
#@****^~^,                                          ,^~^****@#
#¤**^^,,,,                                          ,,,,^^**¤#
##@¤**^~^, 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.       ,,,,^~**¤#
¤¤*~^,,,,,                                          ,,,,,^~*¤¤
##@¤**^~^,                                          ,^~^**¤@##
@¤**~~,,,,                                          ,,,,~~**¤@
##@¤**^~^,                                          ,^~^**¤@##
@@*^^^,,,,                                          ,,,,^^^*@@