@¨@@¨@¨@¨@                                          ¨¨¨@@¨¨@@¨
@¨¨@¨@¨@¨¨                                          ¨¨@¨@¨@¨@¨
@¨@@¨@¨@¨@                                          ¨@@¨@¨@¨@¨
@¨¨@¨@¨@¨¨                                          ¨¨@¨@¨@¨@¨
@¨@@¨@¨@¨@                                          ¨@@¨@¨@¨@¨
@¨¨@¨@¨@¨¨ 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.       ¨@@¨@¨@¨@¨
@¨¨@¨@¨@¨¨                                          ¨¨@¨@¨@¨@¨
@¨@@¨@¨@¨@                                          ¨@@¨@¨@¨@¨
@¨¨@¨@¨@¨¨                                          ¨¨@¨@¨@¨@¨
@¨@@¨@¨@¨@                                          ¨@@¨@¨@¨@¨
@¨¨@¨@¨@¨¨                                          ¨¨@¨@¨@¨@¨