##@&$^^~-¨ ¨-~^^$&@##
##@&$^^~-¨ ¨-~^^$&@##
##@&$^^~-¨ ¨-~^^$&@##
@&$^~¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨~^$&@
##@&$^^~-¨ ¨-~^^$&@##
&$^^^-¨¨¨¨ in the endless winter day, on the ¨¨¨¨-^^^$&
@@$^^^~~-¨ crystal white plains... we trudge along ¨-~~^^^$@@
#&&$^~~-¨¨ the train tracks... themselves slowly ¨¨-~~^$&&#
##@&$^^~-¨ snowed over, in the still hours since ¨-~^^$&@##
#&$^-¨¨¨¨¨ the last supply train. ¨¨¨¨¨-^$&#
&&&^~¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨~^&&&
##@&$^^~-¨ bell-like sounds of the blinding ¨-~^^$&@##
##@&$^^~-¨ ground. rifles attached to our wrist, ¨-~^^$&@##
##@&$^^~-¨ sharing in our bloodstream. my husky, ¨-~^^$&@##
&^^^~~--¨¨ 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. ¨¨¨¨-~^&@@
@$^^-¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨-^^$@
##@&$^^~-¨ ¨-~^^$&@##
@&^^~¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨~^^&@
#&^~¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨~^&#
&^~¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨~^&