#@@@*§\»^, ,^»\§*@@@#
@@@@*§\»^, ,^»\§*@@@@
@*\\^,,,,, ,,,,,^\\*@
##@@@*§\»^ ^»\§*@@@##
@@@@*§\»^, ,^»\§*@@@@
#@@@*§\»^, 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. ,^»\§*@@@@
#@@@*§\»^, ,^»\§*@@@#
@@§»^^,,,, ,,,,^^»§@@
@§\^^,,,,, ,,,,,^^\§@
#@@@*§\»^, ,^»\§*@@@#
#@@@*§\»^, ,^»\§*@@@#