@¤§;--¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨--;§¤@
##§;-----¨ ¨-----;§##
#¤¤%-¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨-%¤¤#
#@#¤§%;--¨ ¨--;%§¤#@#
#§;;;-¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨-;;;§#
#§;---¨¨¨¨ 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. ¨¨¨¨-;§¤¤¤
##@#¤§%;-- --;%§¤#@##
#@#¤§%;--¨ ¨--;%§¤#@#
#@#¤§%;--¨ ¨--;%§¤#@#
@#¤§;-¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨-;§¤#@
¤¤%-¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨-%¤¤