....~-\%¤@ @¤%\-~....
.....~-\%¤ ¤%\-~.....
......~-\% %\-~......
.......~-\ \-~.......
........~- -~........
.........~ 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. -~........
.......~-\ \-~.......
......~-\% %\-~......
.....~-\%¤ ¤%\-~.....
....~-\%¤@ @¤%\-~....
...~-\%¤@@ @@¤%\-~...