§.§§§§§§..                                          §...§§§§§.
§§§.....§.                                          .§..§....§
...§....§§                                          .§§.§§...§
§..§§...§.                                          .§.§§.§..§
.§.§.§..§§                                          .§§§.§§§.§
§§§§§§§.§. 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.       §§§§......
§§.§.§.§§§                                          §...§.....
§.§§§§§§..                                          §§..§§....
§§§.....§.                                          §.§.§.§...
§..§....§§                                          §§§§§§§§..
§§.§§...§.                                          §.......§.