¨,~*$*@@##                                          ##@@*$*~,¨
¨,~**$$@@#                                          #@@$$**~,¨
¨,,~****@@                                          @@****~,,¨
¨,~*$***@@                                          @@***$*~,¨
¨,~*$*@@##                                          ##@@*$*~,¨
¨,~*$*@@## IN  THE   ENDLESS  WINTER  DAY,  ON  THE ##@@*$*~,¨
¨¨¨¨¨~$@@@ CRYSTAL  WHITE PLAINS... WE TRUDGE ALONG @@@$~¨¨¨¨¨
¨,,,*****@   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.       @@@**~,¨¨¨
¨,~**$**@@                                          @@**$**~,¨
¨,~*$*@@##                                          ##@@*$*~,¨
¨¨¨¨,,~~$@                                          @$~~,,¨¨¨¨
¨,~*$*@@##                                          ##@@*$*~,¨
¨,~*$*@@@@                                          @@@@*$*~,¨