*/~^......                                          ......^~/*
/~^.......                                          .......^~/
~^........                                          ........^~
^.........                                          .........^
..........                                          ..........
.......... 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.       ..........
^.........                                          .........^
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/~^.......                                          .......^~/
*/~^......                                          ......^~/*
@*/~^.....                                          .....^~/*@