........^- -^........
.........^ ^.........
........^- -^........
.......^-: :-^.......
......^-:$ $:-^......
.....^-:$¤ 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. @@#¤$:-^..
...^-:$¤#@ @#¤$:-^...
....^-:$¤# #¤$:-^....
.....^-:$¤ ¤$:-^.....
......^-:$ $:-^......
.......^-: :-^.......