^......... .........^
.......... ..........
.......... ..........
.......... ..........
^......... .........^
~^........ 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. .........^
~^........ ........^~
;~^....... .......^~;
*;~^...... ......^~;*
**;~^..... .....^~;**
£**;~^.... ....^~;**£