......~;%§ §%;~......
.....~;%§£ £§%;~.....
....~;%§£# #£§%;~....
...~;%§£## ##£§%;~...
..~;%§£### ###£§%;~..
...~;%§£## 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. ;~........
.......~;% %;~.......
......~;%§ §%;~......
.....~;%§£ £§%;~.....
....~;%§£# #£§%;~....
...~;%§£## ##£§%;~...