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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. ,,,~~†%%¤#
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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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