~¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨~
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ 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.       ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨~
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨