..^=†^$@##                                          ##@$^†=^..
.^=†^$@###                                          ###@$^†=^.
..^=†^$@##                                          ##@$^†=^..
...^=†^$@#                                          #@$^†=^...
....^=†^$@                                          @$^†=^....
.....^=†^$ 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, $^†=^.....
......^=†^       untameable by water or wind.       ^†=^......
.....^=†^$                                          $^†=^.....
....^=†^$@                                          @$^†=^....
...^=†^$@#                                          #@$^†=^...
..^=†^$@##                                          ##@$^†=^..
.^=†^$@###                                          ###@$^†=^.