#@§@%*~^.. ..^~*%@§@#
##@§@%*~^. .^~*%@§@##
#@§@%*~^.. ..^~*%@§@#
@§@%*~^... ...^~*%@§@
§@%*~^.... ....^~*%@§
@%*~^..... 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. ......^~*%
*~^....... .......^~*
~^........ ........^~
^......... .........^
.......... ..........
.......... ..........