†*«-,,,,,,                                          ,,,,,,-«*†
*«-,,,,,,,                                          ,,,,,,,-«*
†*«-,,,,,,                                          ,,,,,,-«*†
*†*«-,,,,,                                          ,,,,,-«*†*
#*†*«-,,,,                                          ,,,,-«*†*#
@#*†*«-,,, 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.       ,,,,,,-«*†
*†*«-,,,,,                                          ,,,,,-«*†*
#*†*«-,,,,                                          ,,,,-«*†*#
@#*†*«-,,,                                          ,,,-«*†*#@
@@#*†*«-,,                                          ,,-«*†*#@@
#@@#*†*«-,                                          ,-«*†*#@@#