&,&,,&,&,&                                          &&&&&&,,,,
&&&,&&&&&,                                          ,,,,,&,,,&
,,&&,,,,&,                                          ,,,,&&,,&,
,&,&,,,&&&                                          ,,,&,&,&&,
&&&&,,&,,&                                          ,,&&&&&,&,
,,,&,&&,&& 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.       &,&&&&,,&,
,&&&,&&&,,                                          &&,,,&,&&&
&,,&&,,&,,                                          ,&,,&&&,,&
&,&,&,&&,,                                          &&,&,,&,&,
&&&&&&,&,,                                          ,&&&,&&&&&
,,,,,&&&,,                                          &,,&&,,,,,