¶&$%\«,,,,                                          ,,,,«\%$&¶
&$%\«,,,,,                                          ,,,,,«\%$&
¶&$%\«,,,,                                          ,,,,«\%$&¶
@¶&$%\«,,,                                          ,,,«\%$&¶@
#@¶&$%\«,,                                          ,,«\%$&¶@#
@¶&$%\«,,, IN  THE  ENDLESS   WINTER  DAY,  ON  THE ,,,«\%$&¶@
¶&$%\«,,,, CRYSTAL WHITE PLAINS... WE TRUDGE  ALONG ,,,,«\%$&¶
&$%\«,,,,,   THE TRAIN TRACKS... THEMSELVES SLOWLY  ,,,,,«\%$&
¶&$%\«,,,, SNOWED  OVER,  IN THE  STILL HOURS SINCE ,,,,«\%$&¶
@¶&$%\«,,,          THE LAST SUPPLY TRAIN.          ,,,«\%$&¶@
#@¶&$%\«,,                                          ,,«\%$&¶@#
@¶&$%\«,,,     BELL-LIKE SOUNDS OF THE BLINDING     ,,,«\%$&¶@
¶&$%\«,,,, GROUND. RIFLES  ATTACHED  TO OUR  WRIST, ,,,,«\%$&¶
&$%\«,,,,, SHARING  IN  OUR BLOODSTREAM. MY  HUSKY, ,,,,,«\%$&
¶&$%\«,,,,      MY WARM-COFFEE-IN-COLD-SNOW...      ,,,,«\%$&¶
@¶&$%\«,,,                                          ,,,«\%$&¶@
#@¶&$%\«,, THE  FIRST  FIVE  SHOTS  YOU  CAN  SPEND ,,«\%$&¶@#
@¶&$%\«,,, INDISCRIMINATELY, THEY HURT BUT DEAL  NO ,,,«\%$&¶@
¶&$%\«,,,, LONG  TIME DAMAGE  TO  THE SHOOTER.  THE ,,,,«\%$&¶
&$%\«,,,,, NEXT FIVE  YOU MUST SPEND  WISELY,  THEY ,,,,,«\%$&
¶&$%\«,,,, WILL TAKE DAYS TO  HEAL. THE FINAL  FIVE ,,,,«\%$&¶
@¶&$%\«,,, YOU    MUST    NOT   SPEND    AT    ALL. ,,,«\%$&¶@
#@¶&$%\«,,                                          ,,«\%$&¶@#
@¶&$%\«,,, WEEKS EARLIER,  IN THE WEAK AUTUMN DAWN, ,,,«\%$&¶@
¶&$%\«,,,, IN THE  BLUE-GRAY  FOG...  SOMETHING  IS ,,,,«\%$&¶
&$%\«,,,,, BURNING  WITH  A   DEEP  CRIMSON  FLAME, ,,,,,«\%$&
¶&$%\«,,,,       UNTAMEABLE BY WATER OR WIND.       ,,,,«\%$&¶
@¶&$%\«,,,                                          ,,,«\%$&¶@
#@¶&$%\«,,                                          ,,«\%$&¶@#
@¶&$%\«,,,                                          ,,,«\%$&¶@
¶&$%\«,,,,                                          ,,,,«\%$&¶
&$%\«,,,,,                                          ,,,,,«\%$&