##@¶%%†~,,                                          ,,~†%%¶@##
#@¶%%†~,,,                                          ,,,~†%%¶@#
@¶%%†~,,,,                                          ,,,,~†%%¶@
¶%%†~,,,,,                                          ,,,,,~†%%¶
%%†~,,,,,,                                          ,,,,,,~†%%
%†~,,,,,,, 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.       ,,~†%%¶@##
#@¶%%†~,,,                                          ,,,~†%%¶@#
@¶%%†~,,,,                                          ,,,,~†%%¶@
¶%%†~,,,,,                                          ,,,,,~†%%¶
%%†~,,,,,,                                          ,,,,,,~†%%
%†~,,,,,,,                                          ,,,,,,,~†%