###&@$/~~¨ ¨~~/$@&###
##&@$/~~¨¨ ¨¨~~/$@&##
#&@$/~~¨¨¨ ¨¨¨~~/$@&#
&@$/~~¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨~~/$@&
@$/~~¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨~~/$@
$/~~¨¨¨¨¨¨ IN THE ENDLESS WINTER DAY, ON THE ¨¨¨¨¨¨~~/$
/~~¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ 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. ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨~
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
~¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨~
~~¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨~~
/~~¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨~~/
$/~~¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨~~/$