.....:=/*%                                          %*/=:.....
......:=/*                                          */=:......
.....:=/*%                                          %*/=:.....
....:=/*%£                                          £%*/=:....
...:=/*%£#                                          #£%*/=:...
..:=/*%£## 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.       ###£%*/=:.
..:=/*%£##                                          ##£%*/=:..
...:=/*%£#                                          #£%*/=:...
....:=/*%£                                          £%*/=:....
.....:=/*%                                          %*/=:.....
......:=/*                                          */=:......