$*~,¨¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨¨,~*$
&$*~,¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨,~*$&
@&$*~,¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨,~*$&@
#@&$*~,¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨,~*$&@#
##@&$*~,¨¨                                          ¨¨,~*$&@##
###@&$*~,¨ IN  THE  ENDLESS  WINTER   DAY,  ON  THE ¨,~*$&@###
##@&$*~,¨¨ CRYSTAL WHITE PLAINS... WE TRUDGE  ALONG ¨¨,~*$&@##
#@&$*~,¨¨¨   THE TRAIN TRACKS... THEMSELVES SLOWLY  ¨¨¨,~*$&@#
@&$*~,¨¨¨¨ SNOWED  OVER,  IN  THE STILL HOURS SINCE ¨¨¨¨,~*$&@
&$*~,¨¨¨¨¨          THE LAST SUPPLY TRAIN.          ¨¨¨¨¨,~*$&
$*~,¨¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨¨,~*$
*~,¨¨¨¨¨¨¨     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.       ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨,~
*~,¨¨¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨,~*
$*~,¨¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨¨,~*$
&$*~,¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨,~*$&
@&$*~,¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨,~*$&@
#@&$*~,¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨,~*$&@#