£$$;.,,,,,                                          ,,,,,.;$$£
##@£%$;~.,                                          ,.~;$%£@##
##@£%$;~.,                                          ,.~;$%£@##
@££%$;~..,                                          ,..~;$%££@
#@%%%$;~.,                                          ,.~;$%%%@#
#@££%$;~., in  the  endless  winter  day,   on  the ,.~;$%££@#
##@£%$;~., crystal white plains... we  trudge along ,.~;$%£@##
#@@£%$;~.,   the train tracks... themselves slowly  ,.~;$%£@@#
@@@£%$;~., snowed over, in  the  still  hours since ,.~;$%£@@@
@%$~.,,,,,          the last supply train.          ,,,,,.~$%@
##@£%$;~.,                                          ,.~;$%£@##
##@£%$;~.,     bell-like sounds of the blinding     ,.~;$%£@##
##@£%$;~., ground. rifles attached  to  our  wrist, ,.~;$%£@##
@%;~~.,,,, 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, ,,,,,..;%£
#@%$;;..,,       untameable by water or wind.       ,,..;;$%@#
###@%$;~.,                                          ,.~;$%@###
£$;~~,,,,,                                          ,,,,,~~;$£
##@£%$;~.,                                          ,.~;$%£@##
@@@£%$;~.,                                          ,.~;$%£@@@
##@£%$;~.,                                          ,.~;$%£@##