.~-:^%£###                                          ###£%^:-~.
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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.          ###£%^:-~.
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...~---^£#     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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