¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ 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. ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨. .¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨.~ ~.¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨