..~*$%§¶@@                                          @@¶§%$*~..
.......~$§                                          §$~.......
..~*$%§¶@#                                          #@¶§%$*~..
..~~*$$%%¶                                          ¶%%$$*~~..
.....**%%§                                          §%%**.....
..~*$%§¶¶¶ IN  THE  ENDLESS  WINTER  DAY,   ON  THE ¶¶¶§%$*~..
.....~*$$§ CRYSTAL WHITE PLAINS...  WE TRUDGE ALONG §$$*~.....
....~~$$§§  THE TRAIN TRACKS... THEMSELVES SLOWLY   §§$$~~....
..~*$%§¶@@ SNOWED OVER,  IN  THE STILL HOURS  SINCE @@¶§%$*~..
....~$%%%§          THE LAST SUPPLY TRAIN.          §%%%$~....
.......~$§                                          §$~.......
..~*$$$$$§     BELL-LIKE SOUNDS OF THE BLINDING     §$$$$$*~..
.......~$§ GROUND.  RIFLES ATTACHED TO  OUR  WRIST, §$~.......
..~*$%§¶¶¶ SHARING IN OUR  BLOODSTREAM.  MY  HUSKY, ¶¶¶§%$*~..
.......~$§      MY WARM-COFFEE-IN-COLD-SNOW...      §$~.......
..~*$%%%¶¶                                          ¶¶%%%$*~..
..~$%§¶@## THE  FIRST  FIVE  SHOTS  YOU  CAN  SPEND ##@¶§%$~..
..~*$%¶@## INDISCRIMINATELY,  THEY HURT BUT DEAL NO ##@¶%$*~..
..~*$%§@## LONG  TIME DAMAGE  TO  THE SHOOTER.  THE ##@§%$*~..
..~*$$$$§§ NEXT FIVE YOU  MUST  SPEND WISELY,  THEY §§$$$$*~..
..~~~~*%§@ WILL  TAKE DAYS TO HEAL. THE FINAL  FIVE @§%*~~~~..
..~*$%§¶@# YOU   MUST    NOT    SPEND    AT    ALL. #@¶§%$*~..
..~*$%§¶@#                                          #@¶§%$*~..
..~*$%§¶@# WEEKS EARLIER, IN THE WEAK AUTUMN  DAWN, #@¶§%$*~..
....**$%%§ IN THE  BLUE-GRAY  FOG...  SOMETHING  IS §%%$**....
....~**$$§ BURNING  WITH  A  DEEP   CRIMSON  FLAME, §$$**~....
..~*$%§§§@       UNTAMEABLE BY WATER OR WIND.       @§§§%$*~..
......**%¶                                          ¶%**......
..~*$%§¶@#                                          #@¶§%$*~..
..~*$%§§§¶                                          ¶§§§%$*~..
..~*$%%%§¶                                          ¶§%%%$*~..
..~*$%§@##                                          ##@§%$*~..