$%:«,¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨,«:%$
%:«,¨¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨¨,«:%
:«,¨¨¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨,«:
«,¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨,«
,¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨,
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ 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.       ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨,
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨