§¤*,¨¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨¨,*¤§
#§¤*««,,,¨                                          ¨,,,««*¤§#
###@§¤%*«,                                          ,«*%¤§@###
##@§¤%*«,¨                                          ¨,«*%¤§@##
###@§%*«,¨                                          ¨,«*%§@###
§¤%%«,¨¨¨¨ 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.       ¨¨¨,,,,*%§
#@§%%%*«,¨                                          ¨,«*%%%§@#
##@§¤%*«,¨                                          ¨,«*%¤§@##
#§¤¤¤%*«,¨                                          ¨,«*%¤¤¤§#
##@§¤%*«,¨                                          ¨,«*%¤§@##
§§%**«,,¨¨                                          ¨¨,,«**%§§