.:-^%$£@##                                          ##@£$%^-:.
..:-^%$£@#                                          #@£$%^-:..
...:-^%$£@                                          @£$%^-:...
....:-^%$£                                          £$%^-:....
.....:-^%$                                          $%^-:.....
......:-^% IN  THE  ENDLESS  WINTER   DAY,  ON  THE %^-:......
.......:-^ CRYSTAL WHITE PLAINS... WE  TRUDGE ALONG ^-:.......
........:-  THE TRAIN TRACKS... THEMSELVES SLOWLY   -:........
.......:-^ SNOWED OVER,  IN  THE STILL  HOURS SINCE ^-:.......
......:-^%          THE LAST SUPPLY TRAIN.          %^-:......
.....:-^%$                                          $%^-:.....
....:-^%$£     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.       @£$%^-:...
..:-^%$£@#                                          #@£$%^-:..
.:-^%$£@##                                          ##@£$%^-:.
..:-^%$£@#                                          #@£$%^-:..
...:-^%$£@                                          @£$%^-:...
....:-^%$£                                          £$%^-:....