&&&&.&&..& &&&&...&&.
&...&&.&.& &...&..&.&
.&..&.&&&& &&..&&.&&&
&&&.&&&... &.&.&.&&..
&..&&..&.. .&&&&&&.&.
&&.&.&.&&. 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. ..&&&..&..
&&&.&.&.&& ..&..&.&&.
&..&&&&&&. &.&&.&&&.&
.&.&.....& &&&.&&..&&
&&&&&....& ...&&.&.&.
&....&...& ...&.&&&&&