..&.&&...& &&..&...&&
&.&&&.&..& ..&.&&..&.
&&&..&&&.& ..&&&.&.&&
...&.&..&& ..&..&&&&.
...&&&&.&. &.&&.&...&
&..&...&&& 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. ..&&.&&&.&
&&&&&&&&&& ..&.&&..&&
.......... ..&&&.&.&.
.......... &.&..&&&&&
&......... &&&&.&....
&&........ &...&&&...