####$†*~,,                                          ,,~*†$####
##$$*~,,,,                                          ,,,,~*$$##
####$†*~,,                                          ,,~*†$####
#†*****~,,                                          ,,~*****†#
#†~,,,,,,,                                          ,,,,,,,~†#
####$†*~,, in  the  endless  winter  day,   on  the ,,~*†$####
#$$**~,,,, crystal white  plains... we trudge along ,,,,~**$$#
#$$$*~,,,,  the train tracks... themselves slowly   ,,,,~*$$$#
####$†*~,, snowed  over, in the  still hours  since ,,~*†$####
####$†*~,,          the last supply train.          ,,~*†$####
####$†*~,,                                          ,,~*†$####
####$†*~,,     bell-like sounds of the blinding     ,,~*†$####
#†**~,,,,, 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 ,,~*†$$###
##††*,,,,, will take days  to  heal. the final five ,,,,,*††##
####$†*~,, you   must    not    spend    at    all. ,,~*†$####
####$†*~,,                                          ,,~*†$####
####$†*~,, weeks earlier, in the  weak autumn dawn, ,,~*†$####
###$*,,,,, in the  blue-gray  fog...  something  is ,,,,,*$###
###†††*~,, burning  with  a  deep   crimson  flame, ,,~*†††###
####$†*~,,       untameable by water or wind.       ,,~*†$####
#$$†~~,,,,                                          ,,,,~~†$$#
#†***~,,,,                                          ,,,,~***†#
####$†*~,,                                          ,,~*†$####
#$$$$†*~,,                                          ,,~*†$$$$#
####$†*~,,                                          ,,~*†$####