##&&§*;~~. .~~;*§&&##
#&&§*~~~.. ..~~~*§&&#
#§;;~..... .....~;;§#
#@#&§*;~~. .~~;*§&#@#
#@#&§*;~~. .~~;*§&#@#
#@#&§*;~~. 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. ...~~~;*§&
#&§**;;~~. .~~;;**§&#
#&§;;~.... ....~;;§&#
##&*~~~~.. ..~~~~*&##
##@#&*;~~. .~~;*&#@##
@&*~...... ......~*&@