,,,,~%%¤¤¤ ¤¤¤%%~,,,,
,:~:%%¤@## ##@¤%%:~:,
,,,~::%%%¤ ¤%%%::~,,,
,:~:%%¤@## ##@¤%%:~:,
,:~:%%¤@## ##@¤%%:~:,
,:~:%%¤¤¤# 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. ##@¤%%:~:,
,,,,:::%%@ @%%:::,,,,
,:~:%%%%@# #@%%%%:~:,
,:~:%%¤@## ##@¤%%:~:,
,:~:%%¤@## ##@¤%%:~:,
,:~:%%¤@## ##@¤%%:~:,