....,~*%%@                                          @%%*~,....
...,~*%%@@                                          @@%%*~,...
..,~*%%@@#                                          #@@%%*~,..
.,~*%%@@##                                          ##@@%%*~,.
..,~*%%@@#                                          #@@%%*~,..
...,~*%%@@ 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.       @%%*~,....
.....,~*%%                                          %%*~,.....
......,~*%                                          %*~,......
.......,~*                                          *~,.......
........,~                                          ~,........
.........,                                          ,.........