,,,~*^%&¶@ @¶&%^*~,,,
,,~*^%&¶@# #@¶&%^*~,,
,,,~*^%&¶@ @¶&%^*~,,,
,,,,~*^%&¶ ¶&%^*~,,,,
,,,,,~*^%& &%^*~,,,,,
,,,,,,~*^% 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. ^*~,,,,,,,
,,,,,,~*^% %^*~,,,,,,
,,,,,~*^%& &%^*~,,,,,
,,,,~*^%&¶ ¶&%^*~,,,,
,,,~*^%&¶@ @¶&%^*~,,,
,,~*^%&¶@# #@¶&%^*~,,