¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨                                          &¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
&&&&&&&&&¨                                          ¨¨&&&&&&&&
&&&&&&&&¨¨                                          &¨¨&&&&&&&
&&&&&&&¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨&&&&&&
&&&&&&¨¨&&                                          &&&¨¨&&&&&
&&&&&¨¨¨¨& 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.       &&&¨¨&&&&&
&¨¨&&¨¨&¨¨                                          &&¨¨¨¨&&&&
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨&                                          ¨¨¨&&¨¨&&&
¨&&&&&&&¨¨                                          &&¨¨¨¨¨¨&¨
¨¨&&&&&¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨&&&&¨¨¨
&¨¨&&&¨¨&&                                          &&¨¨&&¨¨&&