£**»~,,,,,                                          ,,,,,~»**£
££**»~,,,,                                          ,,,,~»**££
#££**»~,,,                                          ,,,~»**££#
##££**»~,,                                          ,,~»**££##
###££**»~,                                          ,~»**££###
##££**»~,, 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.       ,,,,,,,~»*
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*»~,,,,,,,                                          ,,,,,,,~»*
**»~,,,,,,                                          ,,,,,,~»**