.........~                                          ~.........
..........                                          ..........
..........                                          ..........
..........                                          ..........
..........                                          ..........
.......... 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.       ..........
..........                                          ..........
..........                                          ..........
..........                                          ..........
..........                                          ..........
..........                                          ..........