,,~~\\^$¤¤ ¤¤$^\\~~,,
,~~\^$#@## ##@#$^\~~,
,,,,,~^^$# #$^^~,,,,,
,~~\^$¤#@# #@#¤$^\~~,
,~~\^$¤@## ##@¤$^\~~,
,,,,,,~~^¤ 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. @@#¤$^\~~,
,~~\^$¤#@# #@#¤$^\~~,
,~~\^$¤¤#@ @#¤¤$^\~~,
,~~\^$¤¤¤# #¤¤¤$^\~~,
,~~\^$¤### ###¤$^\~~,
,,,,,,,~^¤ ¤^~,,,,,,,