:~\^£@####                                          ####@£^\~:
.:~\^£@###                                          ###@£^\~:.
..:~\^£@##                                          ##@£^\~:..
...:~\^£@#                                          #@£^\~:...
....:~\^£@                                          @£^\~:....
.....:~\^£ 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.       ^\~:......
.....:~\^£                                          £^\~:.....
....:~\^£@                                          @£^\~:....
...:~\^£@#                                          #@£^\~:...
..:~\^£@##                                          ##@£^\~:..
.:~\^£@###                                          ###@£^\~:.