..........                                          ..........
..........                                          ..........
..........                                          ..........
:.........                                          .........:
~:........                                          ........:~
;~:....... 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.       ......:~;%
$%;~:.....                                          .....:~;%$
§$%;~:....                                          ....:~;%$§
@§$%;~:...                                          ...:~;%$§@
#@§$%;~:..                                          ..:~;%$§@#
##@§$%;~:.                                          .:~;%$§@##