##@#@^:--¨ ¨--:^@#@##
###@#@^--¨ ¨--^@#@###
##@#@^:--¨ ¨--:^@#@##
@@@@:---¨¨ ¨¨---:@@@@
#@::-¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨-::@#
###@#^:--¨ 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. ¨--:^@#@##
@@^^^-¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨-^^^@@
##^^:----¨ ¨----:^^##
##@:-¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨-:@##
##@#@^:--¨ ¨--:^@#@##
##@#@^:--¨ ¨--:^@#@##