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#####.#.#.                                          ..##.#.#.#
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##...##...                                          .....#....
#.#..#.#.. 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.       #...#..##.
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