,:~**%@###                                          ###@%**~:,
,:~****%£#                                          #£%****~:,
,:~**%@£##                                          ##£@%**~:,
,:~****%@#                                          #@%****~:,
,:~**%@@££                                          ££@@%**~:,
,:~**%@£## 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.       £@%*~,,,,,
,,,,,,:*%£                                          £%*:,,,,,,
,:~**%%@@#                                          #@@%%**~:,
,,,:**%%%@                                          @%%%**:,,,
,:~**%%%@@                                          @@%%%**~:,
,,,:~~**%£                                          £%**~~:,,,