,,,~~††%&@                                          @&%††~~,,,
,~«†*%&#@#                                          #@#&%*†«~,
,~«†*%&#@#                                          #@#&%*†«~,
,~~~«««†%#                                          #%†«««~~~,
,~«««††%%&                                          &%%††«««~,
,,,,,~†%&@ 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.       #%†~,,,,,,
,,,,~††*&#                                          #&*††~,,,,
,,,,,~«*%#                                          #%*«~,,,,,
,~«†*%&#@#                                          #@#&%*†«~,
,~«†*%&##@                                          @##&%*†«~,
,~~~~««*&&                                          &&*««~~~~,