..........                                          ..........
..........                                          ..........
..........                                          ..........
..........                                          ..........
..........                                          ..........
.......... 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.       ..........
..........                                          ..........
..........                                          ..........
..........                                          ..........
~.........                                          .........~
«~........                                          ........~«