.........: :.........
.......... ..........
.......... ..........
.......... ..........
.......... ..........
.......... 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. ..........
.......... ..........
.........: :.........
........:- -:........
.......:-* *-:.......
......:-*† †*-:......