,,,:~^%%@#                                          #@%%^~:,,,
,,:~^%%@##                                          ##@%%^~:,,
,:~^%%@###                                          ###@%%^~:,
,,:~^%%@##                                          ##@%%^~:,,
,,,:~^%%@#                                          #@%%^~:,,,
,,,,:~^%%@ 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.       #@%%^~:,,,
,,,,:~^%%@                                          @%%^~:,,,,
,,,,,:~^%%                                          %%^~:,,,,,
,,,,,,:~^%                                          %^~:,,,,,,
,,,,,,,:~^                                          ^~:,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,:~                                          ~:,,,,,,,,