*%/»^¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨^»/%*
%/»^¨¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨¨^»/%
/»^¨¨¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨^»/
»^¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨^»
/»^¨¨¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨^»/
%/»^¨¨¨¨¨¨ 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.       ¨¨¨^»/%*@¶
@*%/»^¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨^»/%*@
*%/»^¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨^»/%*
%/»^¨¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨¨^»/%
/»^¨¨¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨^»/
»^¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨^»