..........                                          ..........
~.........                                          .........~
=~........                                          ........~=
%=~.......                                          .......~=%
&%=~......                                          ......~=%&
§&%=~..... 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.       ..~=%&§@##
#@§&%=~...                                          ...~=%&§@#
@§&%=~....                                          ....~=%&§@
§&%=~.....                                          .....~=%&§
&%=~......                                          ......~=%&
%=~.......                                          .......~=%