#@&§^^=^.. ..^=^^§&@#
##@&§^^=^. .^=^^§&@##
#@&§^^=^.. ..^=^^§&@#
@&§^^=^... ...^=^^§&@
&§^^=^.... ....^=^^§&
§^^=^..... 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. ..^=^^§&@#
@&§^^=^... ...^=^^§&@
&§^^=^.... ....^=^^§&
§^^=^..... .....^=^^§
&§^^=^.... ....^=^^§&
@&§^^=^... ...^=^^§&@