##¶¤¤^†~:,                                          ,:~†^¤¤¶##
##¶¤¤^†~:,                                          ,:~†^¤¤¶##
##¶¤¤^†~:,                                          ,:~†^¤¤¶##
##¶¤¤^†~:,                                          ,:~†^¤¤¶##
###¤¤^†~:,                                          ,:~†^¤¤###
¶¤^†:,,,,, 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.       ,:~†^^¤¤¶¶
¤¤^~:::,,,                                          ,,,:::~^¤¤
##¶¤¤^†~:,                                          ,:~†^¤¤¶##
¶¤¤††::,,,                                          ,,,::††¤¤¶
¶¶¶¤¤^†~:,                                          ,:~†^¤¤¶¶¶
##¶¤¤^†~:,                                          ,:~†^¤¤¶##