$%^=^¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨^=^%$
@$%^=^¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨^=^%$@
#@$%^=^¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨^=^%$@#
##@$%^=^¨¨                                          ¨¨^=^%$@##
###@$%^=^¨                                          ¨^=^%$@###
##@$%^=^¨¨ in  the  endless  winter   day,  on  the ¨¨^=^%$@##
#@$%^=^¨¨¨ crystal white plains...  we trudge along ¨¨¨^=^%$@#
@$%^=^¨¨¨¨  the train tracks... themselves slowly   ¨¨¨¨^=^%$@
$%^=^¨¨¨¨¨ snowed  over, in  the still  hours since ¨¨¨¨¨^=^%$
%^=^¨¨¨¨¨¨          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, ¨¨¨¨¨¨^=^%
$%^=^¨¨¨¨¨       untameable by water or wind.       ¨¨¨¨¨^=^%$
@$%^=^¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨^=^%$@
#@$%^=^¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨^=^%$@#
##@$%^=^¨¨                                          ¨¨^=^%$@##
###@$%^=^¨                                          ¨^=^%$@###
##@$%^=^¨¨                                          ¨¨^=^%$@##