####&**~^,                                          ,^~**&####
###&**~^,,                                          ,,^~**&###
##&**~^,,,                                          ,,,^~**&##
###&**~^,,                                          ,,^~**&###
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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.       ,,,^~**&##
###&**~^,,                                          ,,^~**&###
####&**~^,                                          ,^~**&####
###&**~^,,                                          ,,^~**&###
##&**~^,,,                                          ,,,^~**&##
###&**~^,,                                          ,,^~**&###