...-«=%$§# #§$%=«-...
..-«=%$§## ##§$%=«-..
.-«=%$§### ###§$%=«-.
..-«=%$§## ##§$%=«-..
...-«=%$§# #§$%=«-...
....-«=%$§ IN THE ENDLESS WINTER DAY, ON THE §$%=«-....
.....-«=%$ 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. #§$%=«-...
....-«=%$§ §$%=«-....
.....-«=%$ $%=«-.....
......-«=% %=«-......
.......-«= =«-.......
........-« «-........