&&^~,,....                                          ....,,~^&&
###&%^/~,.                                          .,~/^%&###
###&%^/~,.                                          .,~/^%&###
&^///,....                                          ....,///^&
###&%^/~,.                                          .,~/^%&###
####&%/~,. 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.       .,~/^%&###
###&%^/~,.                                          .,~/^%&###
###&%^/~,.                                          .,~/^%&###
#%%^///~,.                                          .,~///^%%#
###&%^/~,.                                          .,~/^%&###
###&%^/~,.                                          .,~/^%&###