......~~^= =^~~......
.......~~^ ^~~.......
........~~ ~~........
.........~ ~.........
.......... ..........
.......... 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. ..........
.........~ ~.........
........~~ ~~........
.......~~^ ^~~.......
......~~^= =^~~......
.....~~^=& &=^~~.....