££=:~¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨~:=££
##¶£@=:~-¨                                          ¨-~:=@£¶##
£@===~~--¨                                          ¨--~~===@£
¶£=:-¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨-:=£¶
##¶£@=:~-¨                                          ¨-~:=@£¶##
¶¶£=:-¨¨¨¨ 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.       ¨-~:===@¶#
##¶£@=:~-¨                                          ¨-~:=@£¶##
###£@=:~-¨                                          ¨-~:=@£###
££@==~~~-¨                                          ¨-~~~==@££
##¶£@=:~-¨                                          ¨-~:=@£¶##
¶¶@=:--¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨--:=@¶¶