¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨-«                                          «-¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨-                                          -¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ 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.       ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨-                                          -¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨-«                                          «-¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨-«^                                          ^«-¨¨¨¨¨¨¨