,,,:~:§§#@                                          @#§§:~:,,,
,,:~:§§#@@                                          @@#§§:~:,,
,:~:§§#@@#                                          #@@#§§:~:,
,,:~:§§#@@                                          @@#§§:~:,,
,,,:~:§§#@                                          @#§§:~:,,,
,,,,:~:§§# 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.       §§:~:,,,,,
,,,,:~:§§#                                          #§§:~:,,,,
,,,:~:§§#@                                          @#§§:~:,,,
,,:~:§§#@@                                          @@#§§:~:,,
,:~:§§#@@#                                          #@@#§§:~:,
,,:~:§§#@@                                          @@#§§:~:,,