§£%=~:,,,,                                          ,,,,:~=%£§
£%=~:,,,,,                                          ,,,,,:~=%£
%=~:,,,,,,                                          ,,,,,,:~=%
£%=~:,,,,,                                          ,,,,,:~=%£
§£%=~:,,,,                                          ,,,,:~=%£§
@§£%=~:,,, 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.       ,,:~=%£§@#
##@§£%=~:,                                          ,:~=%£§@##
#@§£%=~:,,                                          ,,:~=%£§@#
@§£%=~:,,,                                          ,,,:~=%£§@
§£%=~:,,,,                                          ,,,,:~=%£§
£%=~:,,,,,                                          ,,,,,:~=%£