#@&%:~~¨¨¨ ¨¨¨~~:%&@#
@&%:~~¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨~~:%&@
&%:~~¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨~~:%&
%:~~¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨~~:%
:~~¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨~~:
~~¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ 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. ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨~
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
~¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨~
~~¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨~~