@%%«¨¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨¨«%%@
@@@@§%\«.¨                                          ¨.«\%§@@@@
@%\.¨¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨¨.\%@
@§\\\..¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨..\\\§@
##@@§%\«.¨                                          ¨.«\%§@@##
#@@@§%\«.¨ 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.       ¨¨¨..«\\§@
##@@§%\«.¨                                          ¨.«\%§@@##
@@§§%«.¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨.«%§§@@
##@@§%\«.¨                                          ¨.«\%§@@##
#@@@§%\«.¨                                          ¨.«\%§@@@#
@§\..¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨..\§@