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