,,,~*%#@##                                          ##@#%*~,,,
,,~*%#@###                                          ###@#%*~,,
,,,~*%#@##                                          ##@#%*~,,,
,,,,~*%#@#                                          #@#%*~,,,,
,,,,,~*%#@                                          @#%*~,,,,,
,,,,,,~*%# 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.       ##@#%*~,,,
,,,,~*%#@#                                          #@#%*~,,,,
,,,,,~*%#@                                          @#%*~,,,,,
,,,,,,~*%#                                          #%*~,,,,,,
,,,,,,,~*%                                          %*~,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,~*                                          *~,,,,,,,,