@§*\«.¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨.«\*§@
§*\«.¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨.«\*§
*\«.¨¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨¨.«\*
\«.¨¨¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨.«\
«.¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨.«
.¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ 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.       ¨¨¨¨.«\*§@
#@§*\«.¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨.«\*§@#
##@§*\«.¨¨                                          ¨¨.«\*§@##
###@§*\«.¨                                          ¨.«\*§@###
##@§*\«.¨¨                                          ¨¨.«\*§@##
#@§*\«.¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨.«\*§@#