§$\=~,,,,,                                          ,,,,,~=\$§
$\=~,,,,,,                                          ,,,,,,~=\$
\=~,,,,,,,                                          ,,,,,,,~=\
=~,,,,,,,,                                          ,,,,,,,,~=
~,,,,,,,,,                                          ,,,,,,,,,~
=~,,,,,,,, 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.       ,,,~=\$§£#
##£§$\=~,,                                          ,,~=\$§£##
###£§$\=~,                                          ,~=\$§£###
##£§$\=~,,                                          ,,~=\$§£##
#£§$\=~,,,                                          ,,,~=\$§£#
£§$\=~,,,,                                          ,,,,~=\$§£