.........~ ~.........
........~- -~........
.......~-/ /-~.......
......~-/= =/-~......
.....~-/=£ £=/-~.....
....~-/=£# 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. ##£=/-~...
..~-/=£### ###£=/-~..
.~-/=£#### ####£=/-~.
..~-/=£### ###£=/-~..
...~-/=£## ##£=/-~...
....~-/=£# #£=/-~....