...~-^%£&#                                          #&£%^-~...
..~-^%£&##                                          ##&£%^-~..
.~-^%£&###                                          ###&£%^-~.
..~-^%£&##                                          ##&£%^-~..
...~-^%£&#                                          #&£%^-~...
....~-^%£& 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.       ~.........
........~-                                          -~........
.......~-^                                          ^-~.......
......~-^%                                          %^-~......
.....~-^%£                                          £%^-~.....
....~-^%£&                                          &£%^-~....