,,,,,:~/%#                                          #%/~:,,,,,
,,,:~/†#@@                                          @@#†/~:,,,
,:~/†%#@##                                          ##@#%†/~:,
,,,,:~†††#                                          #†††~:,,,,
,,,://%#@@                                          @@#%//:,,,
,:~/†%%%@@ 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.       ##@#%†/~:,
,:~/†%#@##                                          ##@#%†/~:,
,,,~~†%#@@                                          @@#%†~~,,,
,:~/†%%%%#                                          #%%%%†/~:,
,:~/†%#@##                                          ##@#%†/~:,
,:~/†%#@##                                          ##@#%†/~:,