,,,~/=&###                                          ###&=/~,,,
,,,,~/=&##                                          ##&=/~,,,,
,,,,,~/=&#                                          #&=/~,,,,,
,,,,,,~/=&                                          &=/~,,,,,,
,,,,,,,~/=                                          =/~,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,~/ 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.       ,,,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,,,                                          ,,,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,,~                                          ~,,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,~/                                          /~,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,~/=                                          =/~,,,,,,,
,,,,,,~/=&                                          &=/~,,,,,,