#@@#%:~,¨¨                                          ¨¨,~:%#@@#
@@#%:~,¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨,~:%#@@
#@@#%:~,¨¨                                          ¨¨,~:%#@@#
##@@#%:~,¨                                          ¨,~:%#@@##
#@@#%:~,¨¨                                          ¨¨,~:%#@@#
@@#%:~,¨¨¨ 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.       ¨¨,~:%#@@#
##@@#%:~,¨                                          ¨,~:%#@@##
#@@#%:~,¨¨                                          ¨¨,~:%#@@#
@@#%:~,¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨,~:%#@@
#@@#%:~,¨¨                                          ¨¨,~:%#@@#
##@@#%:~,¨                                          ¨,~:%#@@##