..«=$¤#¶## ##¶#¤$=«..
...«=$¤#¶# #¶#¤$=«...
....«=$¤#¶ ¶#¤$=«....
.....«=$¤# #¤$=«.....
......«=$¤ ¤$=«......
.......«=$ 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, $=«.......
........«= in the blue-gray fog... something is =«........
.........« burning with a deep crimson flame, «.........
.......... untameable by water or wind. ..........
.........« «.........
........«= =«........
.......«=$ $=«.......
......«=$¤ ¤$=«......
.....«=$¤# #¤$=«.....