@@%****~,,                                          ,,~****%@@
#@@§%**~,,                                          ,,~**%§@@#
§§%%%**~,,                                          ,,~**%%%§§
@§**,,,,,,                                          ,,,,,,**§@
##@@%**~,,                                          ,,~**%@@##
@@@§%**~,, 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.       ,,,,,,~**§
@@%**~,,,,                                          ,,,,~**%@@
@@%%***~,,                                          ,,~***%%@@
##@@%**~,,                                          ,,~**%@@##
§*~~,,,,,,                                          ,,,,,,~~*§
##@§%**~,,                                          ,,~**%§@##