###¤=*~.,,                                          ,,.~*=¤###
####¤=*~.,                                          ,.~*=¤####
###¤=*~.,,                                          ,,.~*=¤###
##¤=*~.,,,                                          ,,,.~*=¤##
#¤=*~.,,,,                                          ,,,,.~*=¤#
¤=*~.,,,,, 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.       ,,,,,,,,.~
*~.,,,,,,,                                          ,,,,,,,.~*
=*~.,,,,,,                                          ,,,,,,.~*=
¤=*~.,,,,,                                          ,,,,,.~*=¤
#¤=*~.,,,,                                          ,,,,.~*=¤#
##¤=*~.,,,                                          ,,,.~*=¤##