¨,-=§%§@##                                          ##@§%§=-,¨
¨,-=§%§@##                                          ##@§%§=-,¨
¨,-=§%§@##                                          ##@§%§=-,¨
¨¨¨,,=§§%@                                          @%§§=,,¨¨¨
¨,-=§%§@##                                          ##@§%§=-,¨
¨,---§%§@# 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.       §§§§§§=-,¨
¨,-=§%§@##                                          ##@§%§=-,¨
¨¨¨¨---=§§                                          §§=---¨¨¨¨
¨,-=§§@###                                          ###@§§=-,¨
¨¨¨¨¨,--§§                                          §§--,¨¨¨¨¨
¨,--=§%%@@                                          @@%%§=--,¨