###¤$=:-^, ,^-:=$¤###
¤==:^,,,,, ,,,,,^:==¤
###¤$=:-^, ,^-:=$¤###
¤¤¤¤$=:-^, ,^-:=$¤¤¤¤
#¤$:^,,,,, ,,,,,^:$¤#
¤$:-,,,,,, in the endless winter day, on the ,,,,,,-:$¤
###¤$=:-^, crystal white plains... we trudge along ,^-:=$¤###
####¤=:-^, 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, ,,,,,,^-=¤
####$=:-^, untameable by water or wind. ,^-:=$####
###¤$=:-^, ,^-:=$¤###
#¤¤¤$=:-^, ,^-:=$¤¤¤#
###¤$=:-^, ,^-:=$¤###
#¤=:^,,,,, ,,,,,^:=¤#
####¤=:-^, ,^-:=¤####