@@†\::::¨¨                                          ¨¨::::\†@@
@@@@@†\~:¨                                          ¨:~\†@@@@@
@†~:¨¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨¨:~†@
##@@@†\~:¨                                          ¨:~\†@@@##
#@@@@†\~:¨                                          ¨:~\†@@@@#
##@@@†\~:¨ 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.       ¨:~\†@@@@@
##@@@†\~:¨                                          ¨:~\†@@@##
@@†~~~~::¨                                          ¨::~~~~†@@
#@@@@†\~:¨                                          ¨:~\†@@@@#
@@@@@†\~:¨                                          ¨:~\†@@@@@
##@@@†\~:¨                                          ¨:~\†@@@##