.:~^§¤¤###                                          ###¤¤§^~:.
.:~~~^¤¤¤¤                                          ¤¤¤¤^~~~:.
.....:~§¤#                                          #¤§~:.....
.:~^§¤¤###                                          ###¤¤§^~:.
.:~^§¤¤###                                          ###¤¤§^~:.
....:^^§¤¤ 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.       ###¤¤§^~:.
.:~^§¤####                                          ####¤§^~:.
.:~^§¤¤###                                          ###¤¤§^~:.
.:~^§¤¤###                                          ###¤¤§^~:.
.:~^§¤¤¤##                                          ##¤¤¤§^~:.
.:~^§¤¤¤¤¤                                          ¤¤¤¤¤§^~:.