,,,,~«\$%¶ ¶%$\«~,,,,
,,,,~«\$§@ @§$\«~,,,,
,,,~\$%§§¶ ¶§§%$\~,,,
,,,,~««\%¶ ¶%\««~,,,,
,~«\$%§¶@# #@¶§%$\«~,
,~«\$%§¶@# 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 #@¶§%$\«~,
,~«\$%§¶@# BURNING WITH A DEEP CRIMSON FLAME, #@¶§%$\«~,
,~«$%§¶@## UNTAMEABLE BY WATER OR WIND. ##@¶§%$«~,
,,,~«\\$%§ §%$\\«~,,,
,~«\$%§¶@# #@¶§%$\«~,
,,,,~\\$%¶ ¶%$\\~,,,,
,~«\$%§¶@# #@¶§%$\«~,
,,,,,,~\%§ §%\~,,,,,,