@§%%~,,,,,                                          ,,,,,~%%§@
@@§§==,,,,                                          ,,,,==§§@@
@§%=~,,,,,                                          ,,,,,~=%§@
#@@§§%=~,,                                          ,,~=%§§@@#
#@@§§%=~,,                                          ,,~=%§§@@#
@§§§==~~,, 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.       ,,~=%§@@##
@@§%~,,,,,                                          ,,,,,~%§@@
@§%~~,,,,,                                          ,,,,,~~%§@
@@§§§%=~,,                                          ,,~=%§§§@@
#@@§§%=~,,                                          ,,~=%§§@@#
@@§%~,,,,,                                          ,,,,,~%§@@