....-=\%¤@ @¤%\=-....
.....-=\%¤ ¤%\=-.....
......-=\% %\=-......
.......-=\ \=-.......
........-= =-........
.........- 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. =-........
.......-=\ \=-.......
......-=\% %\=-......
.....-=\%¤ ¤%\=-.....
....-=\%¤@ @¤%\=-....
...-=\%¤@@ @@¤%\=-...