##£@**\~^,                                          ,^~\**@£##
#£@**\~^,,                                          ,,^~\**@£#
£@**\~^,,,                                          ,,,^~\**@£
@**\~^,,,,                                          ,,,,^~\**@
**\~^,,,,,                                          ,,,,,^~\**
@**\~^,,,, 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.       ,,,^~\**@£
@**\~^,,,,                                          ,,,,^~\**@
**\~^,,,,,                                          ,,,,,^~\**
@**\~^,,,,                                          ,,,,^~\**@
£@**\~^,,,                                          ,,,^~\**@£
#£@**\~^,,                                          ,,^~\**@£#