@¨¨¨¨@¨@¨¨                                          ¨@@¨@@¨@¨¨
@¨¨¨@@@@¨¨                                          @¨@@¨@@@¨@
@¨¨@¨¨¨@¨@                                          @@¨@@¨¨@@¨
@¨@@¨¨@@@@                                          ¨@@¨@¨@¨@@
@@¨@¨@¨¨¨¨                                          @¨@@@@@@¨¨
¨@@@@@¨¨¨@ 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.       ¨¨@¨@¨¨¨¨¨
@@¨¨¨¨¨¨@@                                          ¨@@@@¨¨¨¨@
¨@¨¨¨¨¨@¨¨                                          @¨¨¨@¨¨¨@¨
@@¨¨¨¨@@¨@                                          @¨¨@@¨¨@@¨
¨@¨¨¨@¨@@@                                          @¨@¨@¨@¨@@
@@¨¨@@@¨¨¨                                          @@@@@@@@¨@