.-~:::&&&# #&&&:::~-.
.-~:^^^### ###^^^:~-.
.-~:^&#### ####&^:~-.
.-~:^##### #####^:~-.
.....~:&## ##&:~.....
...-:::^^# 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. ###&^^:~-.
..--~:^&## ##&^:~--..
.-~:^&#### ####&^:~-.
.....-:^## ##^:-.....
.-~:^&#### ####&^:~-.
.-~:^&#### ####&^:~-.