....~:§$#@                                          @#$§:~....
...~:§$#@#                                          #@#$§:~...
..~:§$#@##                                          ##@#$§:~..
...~:§$#@#                                          #@#$§:~...
....~:§$#@                                          @#$§:~....
.....~:§$# in  the  endless  winter  day,  on   the #$§:~.....
......~:§$ 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.       $§:~......
.......~:§                                          §:~.......
........~:                                          :~........
.........~                                          ~.........
..........                                          ..........
..........                                          ..........