#£%==~^...                                          ...^~==%£#
£%==~^....                                          ....^~==%£
%==~^.....                                          .....^~==%
==~^......                                          ......^~==
=~^.......                                          .......^~=
~^........ 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.       .^~==%£###
##£%==~^..                                          ..^~==%£##
#£%==~^...                                          ...^~==%£#
£%==~^....                                          ....^~==%£
%==~^.....                                          .....^~==%
==~^......                                          ......^~==