,,,,..~~$# #$~~..,,,,
,.~*$§#### ####§$*~.,
,,..***$$# #$$***..,,
,.~*$§#### ####§$*~.,
,.~*$§#### ####§$*~.,
,,,,,.~$$# IN THE ENDLESS WINTER DAY, ON THE #$$~.,,,,,
,.~*$§#### CRYSTAL WHITE PLAINS... WE TRUDGE ALONG ####§$*~.,
,.~*$§#### THE TRAIN TRACKS... THEMSELVES SLOWLY ####§$*~.,
,,,,.*§§## 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 #§*..,,,,,
,.~***$§## LONG TIME DAMAGE TO THE SHOOTER. THE ##§$***~.,
,.~*$§#### NEXT FIVE YOU MUST SPEND WISELY, THEY ####§$*~.,
.~*$§##### WILL TAKE DAYS TO HEAL. THE FINAL FIVE #####§$*~.
,.~*$§#### YOU MUST NOT SPEND AT ALL. ####§$*~.,
,,,,.~*§## ##§*~.,,,,
,.~*$##### WEEKS EARLIER, IN THE WEAK AUTUMN DAWN, #####$*~.,
,,,,..~$## IN THE BLUE-GRAY FOG... SOMETHING IS ##$~..,,,,
,.~*$§#### BURNING WITH A DEEP CRIMSON FLAME, ####§$*~.,
,,,,~~~~$# UNTAMEABLE BY WATER OR WIND. #$~~~~,,,,
,.~*$$$### ###$$$*~.,
,.~*$§#### ####§$*~.,
,.~$§##### #####§$~.,
,.~*$§§§§# #§§§§$*~.,
,,,,,,.*§# #§*.,,,,,,