###&%*\-,. .,-\*%&###
&%*\,..... .....,\*%&
##%\-,.... ....,-\%##
&&%\\\\-,. .,-\\\\%&&
###&%*\-,. .,-\*%&###
###&%*\-,. 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. .,-\%&####
###&%*\-,. .,-\*%&###
###&%*\-,. .,-\*%&###
&%*\,..... .....,\*%&
#%%\-,.... ....,-\%%#
###&%*\-,. .,-\*%&###