@@@*%:«^¨¨                                          ¨¨^«:%*@@@
#@@@*%:«^¨                                          ¨^«:%*@@@#
@@@*%:«^¨¨                                          ¨¨^«:%*@@@
@@*%:«^¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨^«:%*@@
@*%:«^¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨^«:%*@
*%:«^¨¨¨¨¨ 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.       ¨¨^«:%*@@@
@@*%:«^¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨^«:%*@@
@*%:«^¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨^«:%*@
*%:«^¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨^«:%*
%:«^¨¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨¨^«:%
:«^¨¨¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨^«: