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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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