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