/~,.......                                          .......,~/
^/~,......                                          ......,~/^
$^/~,.....                                          .....,~/^$
£$^/~,....                                          ....,~/^$£
@£$^/~,...                                          ...,~/^$£@
#@£$^/~,.. IN  THE  ENDLESS  WINTER  DAY,  ON   THE ..,~/^$£@#
##@£$^/~,. CRYSTAL WHITE PLAINS... WE TRUDGE  ALONG .,~/^$£@##
#@£$^/~,..   THE TRAIN TRACKS... THEMSELVES SLOWLY  ..,~/^$£@#
@£$^/~,... SNOWED  OVER, IN THE  STILL  HOURS SINCE ...,~/^$£@
£$^/~,....          THE LAST SUPPLY TRAIN.          ....,~/^$£
$^/~,.....                                          .....,~/^$
^/~,......     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, ......,~/^
$^/~,.....       UNTAMEABLE BY WATER OR WIND.       .....,~/^$
£$^/~,....                                          ....,~/^$£
@£$^/~,...                                          ...,~/^$£@
#@£$^/~,..                                          ..,~/^$£@#
##@£$^/~,.                                          .,~/^$£@##
#@£$^/~,..                                          ..,~/^$£@#