###&¤*=~.. ..~=*¤&###
###&¤*=~.. ..~=*¤&###
&&*~...... ......~*&&
#&&&¤*=~.. ..~=*¤&&&#
&*=....... .......=*&
###&¤*=~.. 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. ..~=*¤&###
###&¤*=~.. ..~=*¤&###
###&¤*=~.. ..~=*¤&###
###&¤*=~.. ..~=*¤&###
###&¤*=~.. ..~=*¤&###
&*~~...... ......~~*&