&%^«,,,,,,                                          ,,,,,,«^%&
##¶&%%^«,,                                          ,,«^%%&¶##
##¶&%%^«,,                                          ,,«^%%&¶##
&&%^,,,,,,                                          ,,,,,,^%&&
###¶&%^«,,                                          ,,«^%&¶###
&%^«,,,,,, 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.       ,,,««^^%%&
#&%%^^,,,,                                          ,,,,^^%%&#
#¶%^,,,,,,                                          ,,,,,,^%¶#
&&&&%%^«,,                                          ,,«^%%&&&&
&&%%^,,,,,                                          ,,,,,^%%&&
&%^««,,,,,                                          ,,,,,««^%&