,,,,,,,~=% %=~,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,~= =~,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,,~ ~,,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,,, ,,,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,,, ,,,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,,, 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. %=~,,,,,,,
,,,,,,~=%¤ ¤%=~,,,,,,
,,,,,~=%¤# #¤%=~,,,,,
,,,,~=%¤#£ £#¤%=~,,,,
,,,~=%¤#£# #£#¤%=~,,,
,,~=%¤#£## ##£#¤%=~,,