###&%%:~-. .-~:%%&###
##&%%:~-.. ..-~:%%&##
#&%%:~-... ...-~:%%&#
&%%:~-.... ....-~:%%&
%%:~-..... .....-~:%%
%:~-...... 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. .....-~:%%
%:~-...... ......-~:%
:~-....... .......-~:
~-........ ........-~
-......... .........-
.......... ..........