££%§/~:...                                          ...:~/§%££
£%§/~:....                                          ....:~/§%£
%§/~:.....                                          .....:~/§%
§/~:......                                          ......:~/§
/~:.......                                          .......:~/
~:........ 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.       .....:~/§%
£%§/~:....                                          ....:~/§%£
££%§/~:...                                          ...:~/§%££
#££%§/~:..                                          ..:~/§%££#
##££%§/~:.                                          .:~/§%££##
#££%§/~:..                                          ..:~/§%££#