,,,.~*%¤&£ £&¤%*~.,,,
,,.~*%¤&£@ @£&¤%*~.,,
,.~*%¤&£@# #@£&¤%*~.,
,,.~*%¤&£@ @£&¤%*~.,,
,,,.~*%¤&£ £&¤%*~.,,,
,,,,.~*%¤& 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. .,,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,.~ ~.,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,.~* *~.,,,,,,,
,,,,,,.~*% %*~.,,,,,,
,,,,,.~*%¤ ¤%*~.,,,,,
,,,,.~*%¤& &¤%*~.,,,,