#@¶¤%*\~:, ,:~\*%¤¶@#
#@¶¤%*\~:, ,:~\*%¤¶@#
¶¤¤¤%*\~:, ,:~\*%¤¤¤¶
@¶%*\\~,,, ,,,~\\*%¶@
@@¶¤%*\~:, ,:~\*%¤¶@@
¶¶%%\~,,,, 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. ,,,,::\%¤@
##@¶¤*\~:, ,:~\*¤¶@##
¶%%%*\~,,, ,,,~\*%%%¶
¶¶%**\~:,, ,,:~\**%¶¶
¶¤%*\:,,,, ,,,,:\*%¤¶
¶¤%%\:,,,, ,,,,:\%%¤¶