#@^~,,.... ....,,~^@#
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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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