¶£%%:--¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨--:%%£¶
#¶£%%:--¨¨                                          ¨¨--:%%£¶#
##¶£%%:--¨                                          ¨--:%%£¶##
#¶£%%:--¨¨                                          ¨¨--:%%£¶#
¶£%%:--¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨--:%%£¶
£%%:--¨¨¨¨ 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.       ¨--:%%£¶##
#¶£%%:--¨¨                                          ¨¨--:%%£¶#
¶£%%:--¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨--:%%£¶
£%%:--¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨--:%%£
%%:--¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨--:%%
£%%:--¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨--:%%£