##@#*^;«~¨ ¨~«;^*#@##
@#*^;;~¨¨¨ ¨¨¨~;;^*#@
#@@#*^;«~¨ ¨~«;^*#@@#
#*;«¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨«;*#
#@@#*^;«~¨ ¨~«;^*#@@#
@###*^;«~¨ 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. ¨¨¨¨~~«^##
@@@#*^;«~¨ ¨~«;^*#@@@
#@@#*^;«~¨ ¨~«;^*#@@#
@@##*^;«~¨ ¨~«;^*##@@
@@*^;;«~¨¨ ¨¨~«;;^*@@
##@@*^;«~¨ ¨~«;^*@@##