##¶@%$†~^.                                          .^~†$%@¶##
#¶@%$†~^..                                          ..^~†$%@¶#
¶@%$†~^...                                          ...^~†$%@¶
@%$†~^....                                          ....^~†$%@
%$†~^.....                                          .....^~†$%
$†~^...... in  the  endless  winter  day,   on  the ......^~†$
†~^....... 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.       .......^~†
$†~^......                                          ......^~†$
%$†~^.....                                          .....^~†$%
@%$†~^....                                          ....^~†$%@
¶@%$†~^...                                          ...^~†$%@¶
#¶@%$†~^..                                          ..^~†$%@¶#