@¤¤%%\,... ...,\%%¤¤@
#§§§§%\~,. .,~\%§§§§#
#§§\\\,... ...,\\\§§#
#§%\~,.... ....,~\%§#
#¤%~,,,,.. ..,,,,~%¤#
#@#¤§%\~,. 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. ..,,,\%§¤#
@¤§§§%\~,. .,~\%§§§¤@
#¤§§§%\~,. .,~\%§§§¤#
##@#§%\~,. .,~\%§#@##
¤%\\,..... .....,\\%¤
#¤§\~..... .....~\§¤#