#@£@%=\«~.                                          .~«\=%@£@#
£%==\\\«~.                                          .~«\\\==%£
@@%===\«~.                                          .~«\===%@@
#@£@%=\«~.                                          .~«\=%@£@#
@@£@%=\«~.                                          .~«\=%@£@@
@%%=«~.... 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.       ..~««\=%%£
@%\\«.....                                          .....«\\%@
@=\\«~....                                          ....~«\\=@
@@%=«~~...                                          ...~~«=%@@
@=\~......                                          ......~\=@
@@£@%=\«~.                                          .~«\=%@£@@