¨~-\†$#¶##                                          ##¶#$†\-~¨
¨~-\†$#¶¶¶                                          ¶¶¶#$†\-~¨
¨¨¨¨¨-††##                                          ##††-¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨~--††#                                          #††--~¨¨¨¨
¨~-\†$#¶##                                          ##¶#$†\-~¨
¨~-\†$¶### in  the  endless  winter   day,  on  the ###¶$†\-~¨
¨~-\††$$$¶ crystal  white plains... we trudge along ¶$$$††\-~¨
¨~-\†$#¶##  the train tracks... themselves slowly   ##¶#$†\-~¨
¨¨¨¨~-†$## snowed over,  in the  still hours  since ##$†-~¨¨¨¨
¨~-\†$#¶¶#          the last supply train.          #¶¶#$†\-~¨
¨~-\\\†$$#                                          #$$†\\\-~¨
¨~-\†††$#¶     bell-like sounds of the blinding     ¶#$†††\-~¨
¨~-\†$#¶¶¶ ground. rifles  attached  to our  wrist, ¶¶¶#$†\-~¨
¨~-\†$#¶## sharing  in  our bloodstream.  my husky, ##¶#$†\-~¨
¨¨¨¨-\$###      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.       ¶#†-¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨~-\†$#¶##                                          ##¶#$†\-~¨
¨~-\†#¶###                                          ###¶#†\-~¨
¨¨~-\\†$##                                          ##$†\\-~¨¨
¨~-\†$$$##                                          ##$$$†\-~¨
¨~-\†$#¶##                                          ##¶#$†\-~¨