.,~/%$@@##                                          ##@@$%/~,.
......~/%@                                          @%/~......
...~/%$$$@                                          @$$$%/~...
.,~%$@@###                                          ###@@$%~,.
......~/$@                                          @$/~......
.....,/%$@ in   the  endless  winter  day,  on  the @$%/,.....
......~/%@ 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...      @@%//,....
....~~~%%@                                          @%%~~~....
.,~/%$@@## the  first  five  shots  you  can  spend ##@@$%/~,.
......~%$@ indiscriminately, they hurt but deal  no @$%~......
..,~//%$@@ long  time  damage to the  shooter.  the @@$%//~,..
....~%$$@@ next  five you  must spend wisely,  they @@$$%~....
.,~/%$@@## will take  days to heal.  the final five ##@@$%/~,.
.,~/%$@@## you    must    not   spend    at    all. ##@@$%/~,.
.,~/%$@###                                          ###@$%/~,.
.,~/%$@@## weeks earlier,  in the weak autumn dawn, ##@@$%/~,.
.,~///$@@# in  the  blue-gray  fog... something  is #@@$///~,.
....,/$$@@ burning  with  a  deep   crimson  flame, @@$$/,....
....,~//$@       untameable by water or wind.       @$//~,....
.,~/%$@@##                                          ##@@$%/~,.
.,/%$@@###                                          ###@@$%/,.
...~///$@@                                          @@$///~...
.,~/%$@@##                                          ##@@$%/~,.
.,~/%$@@##                                          ##@@$%/~,.