......-^%@ @%^-......
......^^@# #@^^......
.....--^@@ @@^--.....
.....^^%@@ @@%^^.....
..-^^%@@## ##@@%^^-..
......-^@# 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. ##@@%^^-..
..-^^%@@## ##@@%^^-..
..-^^%@@@@ @@@@%^^-..
.....^^%@# #@%^^.....
..-^^%@@## ##@@%^^-..
..-^^%%%%@ @%%%%^^-..