%*«~...... ......~«*%
$%*«~..... .....~«*%$
#$%*«~.... ....~«*%$#
@#$%*«~... ...~«*%$#@
#@#$%*«~.. ..~«*%$#@#
##@#$%*«~. IN THE ENDLESS WINTER DAY, ON THE .~«*%$#@##
#@#$%*«~.. CRYSTAL WHITE PLAINS... WE TRUDGE ALONG ..~«*%$#@#
@#$%*«~... THE TRAIN TRACKS... THEMSELVES SLOWLY ...~«*%$#@
#$%*«~.... SNOWED OVER, IN THE STILL HOURS SINCE ....~«*%$#
$%*«~..... THE LAST SUPPLY TRAIN. .....~«*%$
%*«~...... ......~«*%
*«~....... 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 ......~«*%
$%*«~..... NEXT FIVE YOU MUST SPEND WISELY, THEY .....~«*%$
#$%*«~.... WILL TAKE DAYS TO HEAL. THE FINAL FIVE ....~«*%$#
@#$%*«~... YOU MUST NOT SPEND AT ALL. ...~«*%$#@
#@#$%*«~.. ..~«*%$#@#
##@#$%*«~. WEEKS EARLIER, IN THE WEAK AUTUMN DAWN, .~«*%$#@##
#@#$%*«~.. IN THE BLUE-GRAY FOG... SOMETHING IS ..~«*%$#@#
@#$%*«~... BURNING WITH A DEEP CRIMSON FLAME, ...~«*%$#@
#$%*«~.... UNTAMEABLE BY WATER OR WIND. ....~«*%$#
$%*«~..... .....~«*%$
%*«~...... ......~«*%
*«~....... .......~«*
«~........ ........~«
~......... .........~