#@¶@$§^«~.                                          .~«^§$@¶@#
@§«~~.....                                          .....~~«§@
##@@$§^«~.                                          .~«^§$@@##
##¶@$§^«~.                                          .~«^§$@¶##
@$§§^^^«~.                                          .~«^^^§§$@
@§«....... 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, .~«^§§§@¶¶
@¶$§««««~.       UNTAMEABLE BY WATER OR WIND.       .~««««§$¶@
@@$§«.....                                          .....«§$@@
¶¶¶@$§^«~.                                          .~«^§$@¶¶¶
#@¶@$§^«~.                                          .~«^§$@¶@#
#@¶@$§^«~.                                          .~«^§$@¶@#
#@¶@$§^«~.                                          .~«^§$@¶@#