##¶§*^==..                                          ..==^*§¶##
§§§^=.....                                          .....=^§§§
##¶§*^==..                                          ..==^*§¶##
##¶§*^==..                                          ..==^*§¶##
§§§**^==..                                          ..==^**§§§
§^=....... 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.       ......=^*§
§§*=......                                          ......=*§§
##¶§*^==..                                          ..==^*§¶##
##¶§*^==..                                          ..==^*§¶##
#¶*=====..                                          ..=====*¶#
¶§§§*^==..                                          ..==^*§§§¶