#@§@*:~:¨¨                                          ¨¨:~:*@§@#
##@§@*:~:¨                                          ¨:~:*@§@##
#@§@*:~:¨¨                                          ¨¨:~:*@§@#
@§@*:~:¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨:~:*@§@
§@*:~:¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨:~:*@§
@*:~:¨¨¨¨¨ 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.       ¨¨¨¨:~:*@§
@§@*:~:¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨:~:*@§@
#@§@*:~:¨¨                                          ¨¨:~:*@§@#
##@§@*:~:¨                                          ¨:~:*@§@##
#@§@*:~:¨¨                                          ¨¨:~:*@§@#
@§@*:~:¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨:~:*@§@