@#§%\«.¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨.«\%§#@
#§%\«.¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨.«\%§#
§%\«.¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨.«\%§
%\«.¨¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨¨.«\%
§%\«.¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨.«\%§
#§%\«.¨¨¨¨ 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.       ¨¨¨.«\%§#@
#@#§%\«.¨¨                                          ¨¨.«\%§#@#
##@#§%\«.¨                                          ¨.«\%§#@##
#@#§%\«.¨¨                                          ¨¨.«\%§#@#
@#§%\«.¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨.«\%§#@
#§%\«.¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨.«\%§#