##$$;~~... ...~~;$$##
#&&§;;;~~. .~~;;;§&&#
&&§~...... ......~§&&
&&$§§;~~.. ..~~;§§$&&
&$;~...... ......~;$&
&§§;~..... 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 ......~§§&
###&$§;~~. GROUND. RIFLES ATTACHED TO OUR WRIST, .~~;§$&###
###&$§;~~. SHARING IN OUR BLOODSTREAM. MY HUSKY, .~~;§$&###
###&$§;~~. MY WARM-COFFEE-IN-COLD-SNOW... .~~;§$&###
#$§;~~.... ....~~;§$#
###&$§;~~. THE FIRST FIVE SHOTS YOU CAN SPEND .~~;§$&###
###&$§;~~. INDISCRIMINATELY, THEY HURT BUT DEAL NO .~~;§$&###
###&$§;~~. LONG TIME DAMAGE TO THE SHOOTER. THE .~~;§$&###
####&$§~~. NEXT FIVE YOU MUST SPEND WISELY, THEY .~~§$&####
&&$§;~.... WILL TAKE DAYS TO HEAL. THE FINAL FIVE ....~;§$&&
###&$§;~~. YOU MUST NOT SPEND AT ALL. .~~;§$&###
###&$§;~~. .~~;§$&###
&&$$;;~... WEEKS EARLIER, IN THE WEAK AUTUMN DAWN, ...~;;$$&&
##$;~..... IN THE BLUE-GRAY FOG... SOMETHING IS .....~;$##
#&$§§§;~~. BURNING WITH A DEEP CRIMSON FLAME, .~~;§§§$&#
#&$;~..... UNTAMEABLE BY WATER OR WIND. .....~;$&#
###&$§;~~. .~~;§$&###
###&$§;~~. .~~;§$&###
&$$§~~.... ....~~§$$&
###&$§;~~. .~~;§$&###
##&$;;~~~. .~~~;;$&##