,-~†%***§#                                          #§***%†~-,
,,,,,,~%*#                                          #*%~,,,,,,
,-~%*§####                                          ####§*%~-,
,,,,-††%§#                                          #§%††-,,,,
,,,,,-†%§§                                          §§%†-,,,,,
,,,,~†%**§ 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.       ###§*%†~-,
,,,,,,~%§§                                          §§%~,,,,,,
,,,,--†%§#                                          #§%†--,,,,
,-~†%*####                                          ####*%†~-,
,-†%*§####                                          ####§*%†-,
,,,--†**##                                          ##**†--,,,