¶¤%%%~~~-, ,-~~~%%%¤¶
#¶¤%~~~--, ,--~~~%¤¶#
###&¤%\~-, ,-~\%¤##
##¶&¤%\~-, ,-~\%¤&¶##
##¶&¤%\~-, ,-~\%¤&¶##
¶&%%%\~~-, 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. ,-~\%¤&¶##
&%~,,,,,,, ,,,,,,,~%&
##¶&¤%\~-, ,-~\%¤&¶##
##¶&¤%\~-, ,-~\%¤&¶##
&%%~-,,,,, ,,,,,-~%%&
##¶&¤%\~-, ,-~\%¤&¶##