##..#.##..                                          ....#.#...
###...###.                                          #......#..
#.##..#.##                                          ##......#.
..###...##                                          ###.......
..#.##..#.                                          #.##......
....###... 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.       ..###..#.#
##....#.##                                          ..#.##...#
.##.....##                                          #...###..#
.###....#.                                          .#..#.##..
.#.##.....                                          ..#...###.
...###....                                          #..#..#.##