¨¨¨¨.//&§§                                          §§&//.¨¨¨¨
¨¨...~~=&#                                          #&=~~...¨¨
¨¨¨¨.../=§                                          §=/...¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨../=§§                                          §§=/..¨¨¨¨
¨.~/=&§#@@                                          @@#§&=/~.¨
¨.~/=&§§## 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.       ##&&=/~¨¨¨
¨.~/=&§@##                                          ##@§&=/~.¨
¨¨¨¨¨~==§#                                          #§==~¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨./==§                                          §==/.¨¨¨¨¨
¨.~/=&§#@#                                          #@#§&=/~.¨
¨.~/=&§#@@                                          @@#§&=/~.¨