####$^\~:¨ ¨:~\^$####
###$^\~:¨¨ ¨¨:~\^$###
##$^\~:¨¨¨ ¨¨¨:~\^$##
#$^\~:¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨:~\^$#
$^\~:¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨:~\^$
^\~:¨¨¨¨¨¨ 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 ¨¨¨¨¨¨:~\^
$^\~:¨¨¨¨¨ will take days to heal. the final five ¨¨¨¨¨:~\^$
#$^\~:¨¨¨¨ you must not spend at all. ¨¨¨¨:~\^$#
##$^\~:¨¨¨ ¨¨¨:~\^$##
###$^\~:¨¨ weeks earlier, in the weak autumn dawn, ¨¨:~\^$###
####$^\~:¨ in the blue-gray fog... something is ¨:~\^$####
###$^\~:¨¨ burning with a deep crimson flame, ¨¨:~\^$###
##$^\~:¨¨¨ untameable by water or wind. ¨¨¨:~\^$##
#$^\~:¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨:~\^$#
$^\~:¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨:~\^$
^\~:¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨:~\^
\~:¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨:~\
^\~:¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨:~\^