%^-~......                                          ......~-^%
^-~.......                                          .......~-^
%^-~......                                          ......~-^%
§%^-~.....                                          .....~-^%§
§§%^-~....                                          ....~-^%§§
@§§%^-~... 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.       ......~-^%
§%^-~.....                                          .....~-^%§
§§%^-~....                                          ....~-^%§§
@§§%^-~...                                          ...~-^%§§@
#@§§%^-~..                                          ..~-^%§§@#
##@§§%^-~.                                          .~-^%§§@##