¨¨¨¨¨»*&&§ §&&*»¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨»*§§ §§*»¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨»**§ §**»¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨~»^^^^**§ §**^^^^»~¨
¨~»^*&§§§# #§§§&*^»~¨
¨¨¨»»»**&§ 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. ###§&*^»~¨
¨~»^*&§### ###§&*^»~¨
¨¨¨¨»^&&§# #§&&^»¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨~»»*&§ §&*»»~¨¨¨¨
¨~»^*&§### ###§&*^»~¨
¨~»^***&§§ §§&***^»~¨