..@@@....@                                          .@@@.....@
@.@.@@....                                          .@.@@.....
....@@@...                                          ...@@@....
....@.@@..                                          @..@.@@...
......@@@.                                          @@...@@@..
......@.@@ 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.       .@....@...
...@......                                          ..@....@..
....@.....                                          ...@....@.
.....@....                                          ....@....@
@.....@...                                          .....@....
.@.....@..                                          ......@...