##@#$†*~:¨                                          ¨:~*†$#@##
#@#$†*~:¨¨                                          ¨¨:~*†$#@#
##@#$†*~:¨                                          ¨:~*†$#@##
#@#$†*~:¨¨                                          ¨¨:~*†$#@#
##@#$†*~:¨                                          ¨:~*†$#@##
#@#$†*~:¨¨ IN   THE  ENDLESS  WINTER  DAY,  ON  THE ¨¨:~*†$#@#
##@#$†*~:¨ CRYSTAL WHITE  PLAINS... WE TRUDGE ALONG ¨:~*†$#@##
#@#$†*~:¨¨   THE TRAIN TRACKS... THEMSELVES SLOWLY  ¨¨:~*†$#@#
##@#$†*~:¨ SNOWED OVER,  IN  THE STILL HOURS  SINCE ¨:~*†$#@##
#@#$†*~:¨¨          THE LAST SUPPLY TRAIN.          ¨¨:~*†$#@#
##@#$†*~:¨                                          ¨:~*†$#@##
#@#$†*~:¨¨     BELL-LIKE SOUNDS OF THE BLINDING     ¨¨:~*†$#@#
##@#$†*~:¨ GROUND.  RIFLES ATTACHED  TO  OUR WRIST, ¨:~*†$#@##
#@#$†*~:¨¨ SHARING  IN OUR BLOODSTREAM.  MY  HUSKY, ¨¨:~*†$#@#
##@#$†*~:¨      MY WARM-COFFEE-IN-COLD-SNOW...      ¨:~*†$#@##
#@#$†*~:¨¨                                          ¨¨:~*†$#@#
##@#$†*~:¨ THE  FIRST  FIVE  SHOTS  YOU  CAN  SPEND ¨:~*†$#@##
#@#$†*~:¨¨ INDISCRIMINATELY, THEY  HURT BUT DEAL NO ¨¨:~*†$#@#
##@#$†*~:¨ LONG  TIME DAMAGE TO  THE  SHOOTER.  THE ¨:~*†$#@##
#@#$†*~:¨¨ NEXT  FIVE YOU  MUST SPEND  WISELY, THEY ¨¨:~*†$#@#
##@#$†*~:¨ WILL TAKE DAYS  TO HEAL.  THE FINAL FIVE ¨:~*†$#@##
#@#$†*~:¨¨ YOU    MUST   NOT    SPEND    AT    ALL. ¨¨:~*†$#@#
##@#$†*~:¨                                          ¨:~*†$#@##
#@#$†*~:¨¨ WEEKS EARLIER, IN THE WEAK AUTUMN  DAWN, ¨¨:~*†$#@#
##@#$†*~:¨ IN  THE  BLUE-GRAY  FOG... SOMETHING  IS ¨:~*†$#@##
#@#$†*~:¨¨ BURNING  WITH   A  DEEP  CRIMSON  FLAME, ¨¨:~*†$#@#
##@#$†*~:¨       UNTAMEABLE BY WATER OR WIND.       ¨:~*†$#@##
#@#$†*~:¨¨                                          ¨¨:~*†$#@#
##@#$†*~:¨                                          ¨:~*†$#@##
#@#$†*~:¨¨                                          ¨¨:~*†$#@#
##@#$†*~:¨                                          ¨:~*†$#@##
#@#$†*~:¨¨                                          ¨¨:~*†$#@#