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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. »,........
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.......... 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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