...~~~;^§#                                          #§^;~~~...
.~~;^§§###                                          ###§§^;~~.
.~~;^§§###                                          ###§§^;~~.
.~~;^§§§##                                          ##§§§^;~~.
....~;^§##                                          ##§^;~....
....~;^§§§ 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.       ###§§^;~~.
.~~;^§§§§#                                          #§§§§^;~~.
....~~~^§#                                          #§^~~~....
.....~~~^§                                          §^~~~.....
......~^§§                                          §§^~......
.~~;^§§###                                          ###§§^;~~.