#@@^^^^~~. .~~^^^^@@#
@@@@§^^~~. .~~^^§@@@@
@@§§^~.... ....~^§§@@
##@@§^^~~. .~~^^§@@##
#@@@§^^~~. .~~^^§@@@#
##@@§^^~~. 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. .~~^^^^@@@
@§^~...... ......~^§@
@§^~~~~~~. .~~~~~~^§@
@@@@§^^~~. .~~^^§@@@@
##@@§^^~~. .~~^^§@@##
@@@@§^^~~. .~~^^§@@@@