###§$*†«~¨ ¨~«†*$§###
§$$*«¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨«*$$§
###§$*†«~¨ ¨~«†*$§###
§**«¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨«**§
§*«~~~~¨¨¨ ¨¨¨~~~~«*§
§$$*†~¨¨¨¨ in the endless winter day, on the ¨¨¨¨~†*$$§
###§$*†«~¨ crystal white plains... we trudge along ¨~«†*$§###
###§$*†«~¨ the train tracks... themselves slowly ¨~«†*$§###
#$††««««~¨ snowed over, in the still hours since ¨~««««††$#
#§*†«¨¨¨¨¨ 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, ¨~«†*$$§##
###§$*†«~¨ untameable by water or wind. ¨~«†*$§###
###§$*†«~¨ ¨~«†*$§###
###§$*†«~¨ ¨~«†*$§###
###§$*†«~¨ ¨~«†*$§###
####§$†«~¨ ¨~«†$§####
#§§§$*†«~¨ ¨~«†*$§§§#