¨@¨@¨¨@¨@¨                                          ¨@¨¨@@¨@@@
@@@@@¨@@@@                                          ¨@@¨@¨@@¨¨
@¨¨¨¨@@¨¨¨                                          ¨@¨@@@@¨@¨
@@¨¨¨@¨@¨¨                                          ¨@@@¨¨¨@@@
¨¨@¨¨@@@@¨                                          @@¨¨@¨¨@¨¨
¨¨@@¨@¨¨¨@ 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.       ¨@¨¨¨@@@@@
¨¨¨¨@@@¨@¨                                          ¨@@¨¨@¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨@¨¨@@@                                          @@¨@¨@@¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨@@¨@¨¨                                          ¨¨@@@@¨@¨¨
¨¨¨¨@¨@@@¨                                          ¨¨@¨¨¨@@@¨
¨¨¨¨@@@¨¨@                                          ¨¨@@¨¨@¨¨@