,,,,,,,,-~ ~-,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,-~^ ^~-,,,,,,,
,,,,,,-~^$ $^~-,,,,,,
,,,,,-~^$§ §$^~-,,,,,
,,,,-~^$§# #§$^~-,,,,
,,,-~^$§## 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. ###§$^~-,,
,,,-~^$§## ##§$^~-,,,
,,,,-~^$§# #§$^~-,,,,
,,,,,-~^$§ §$^~-,,,,,
,,,,,,-~^$ $^~-,,,,,,
,,,,,,,-~^ ^~-,,,,,,,