...,~\**&@ @&**\~,...
....,~\**& &**\~,....
.....,~\** **\~,.....
......,~\* *\~,......
.......,~\ \~,.......
........,~ 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. ,.........
........,~ ~,........
.......,~\ \~,.......
......,~\* *\~,......
.....,~\** **\~,.....
....,~\**& &**\~,....