,,,,,,«$@# #@$«,,,,,,
,,«:$@¤### ###¤@$:«,,
,,«:$@¤### ###¤@$:«,,
,,«:$@¤### ###¤@$:«,,
,,«:$@¤### ###¤@$:«,,
,,,,,,,:@# 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 #@@$$:,,,,
,,«:$@¤¤¤# WILL TAKE DAYS TO HEAL. THE FINAL FIVE #¤¤¤@$:«,,
,,«:$@¤### YOU MUST NOT SPEND AT ALL. ###¤@$:«,,
,,,,«$@@¤# #¤@@$«,,,,
,,«:$@¤### WEEKS EARLIER, IN THE WEAK AUTUMN DAWN, ###¤@$:«,,
,,«:$@¤### IN THE BLUE-GRAY FOG... SOMETHING IS ###¤@$:«,,
,,,,,:$¤¤¤ BURNING WITH A DEEP CRIMSON FLAME, ¤¤¤$:,,,,,
,,«:$@¤### UNTAMEABLE BY WATER OR WIND. ###¤@$:«,,
,,,,:$$@## ##@$$:,,,,
,,,,::$$$¤ ¤$$$::,,,,
,,«:$@@¤## ##¤@@$:«,,
,,,,,:$@## ##@$:,,,,,
,,«:$@¤### ###¤@$:«,,