,,,,.~††¤¤                                          ¤¤††~.,,,,
,.~†%¤¤¶@#                                          #@¶¤¤%†~.,
,,,,,,,~%¤                                          ¤%~,,,,,,,
,.~†%¤¤¶@#                                          #@¶¤¤%†~.,
,,..~~†%¤@                                          @¤%†~~..,,
,,,,,.†%¤¤ 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.       ##@¶¤¤†~.,
,.~†%¤¤¶##                                          ##¶¤¤%†~.,
,,,,,.††¤¶                                          ¶¤††.,,,,,
,.~†%¤¶@##                                          ##@¶¤%†~.,
,.~†%¤¶@##                                          ##@¶¤%†~.,
,.~†%¤¤¶@#                                          #@¶¤¤%†~.,