..,«=^$###                                          ###$^=«,..
.,«=^$####                                          ####$^=«,.
..,«=^$###                                          ###$^=«,..
...,«=^$##                                          ##$^=«,...
....,«=^$#                                          #$^=«,....
...,«=^$## in  the  endless  winter  day,  on   the ##$^=«,...
..,«=^$### crystal white plains... we  trudge along ###$^=«,..
.,«=^$####  the train tracks... themselves slowly   ####$^=«,.
..,«=^$### snowed over,  in  the still  hours since ###$^=«,..
...,«=^$##          the last supply train.          ##$^=«,...
....,«=^$#                                          #$^=«,....
...,«=^$##     bell-like sounds of the blinding     ##$^=«,...
..,«=^$### ground. rifles attached  to  our  wrist, ###$^=«,..
.,«=^$#### sharing  in  our bloodstream.  my husky, ####$^=«,.
..,«=^$###      my warm-coffee-in-cold-snow...      ###$^=«,..
...,«=^$##                                          ##$^=«,...
....,«=^$# the  first  five  shots  you  can  spend #$^=«,....
...,«=^$## indiscriminately, they hurt but  deal no ##$^=«,...
..,«=^$### long  time  damage to the  shooter.  the ###$^=«,..
.,«=^$#### next five  you must  spend wisely,  they ####$^=«,.
..,«=^$### will  take days to  heal. the final five ###$^=«,..
...,«=^$## you    must   not    spend    at    all. ##$^=«,...
....,«=^$#                                          #$^=«,....
...,«=^$## weeks  earlier, in the weak autumn dawn, ##$^=«,...
..,«=^$### in  the  blue-gray  fog... something  is ###$^=«,..
.,«=^$#### burning   with  a  deep  crimson  flame, ####$^=«,.
..,«=^$###       untameable by water or wind.       ###$^=«,..
...,«=^$##                                          ##$^=«,...
....,«=^$#                                          #$^=«,....
...,«=^$##                                          ##$^=«,...
..,«=^$###                                          ###$^=«,..
.,«=^$####                                          ####$^=«,.