,:~†*$¤@##                                          ##@¤$*†~:,
,,:~†*$¤@#                                          #@¤$*†~:,,
,,,:~†*$¤@                                          @¤$*†~:,,,
,,,,:~†*$¤                                          ¤$*†~:,,,,
,,,,,:~†*$                                          $*†~:,,,,,
,,,,,,:~†* IN  THE   ENDLESS  WINTER  DAY,  ON  THE *†~:,,,,,,
,,,,,,,:~† CRYSTAL WHITE  PLAINS... WE TRUDGE ALONG †~:,,,,,,,
,,,,,,:~†*  THE TRAIN TRACKS... THEMSELVES SLOWLY   *†~:,,,,,,
,,,,,:~†*$ 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.       @¤$*†~:,,,
,,,,:~†*$¤                                          ¤$*†~:,,,,
,,,,,:~†*$                                          $*†~:,,,,,
,,,,,,:~†*                                          *†~:,,,,,,
,,,,,,,:~†                                          †~:,,,,,,,
,,,,,,:~†*                                          *†~:,,,,,,