§%*\~~,,,, ,,,,~~\*%§
¶§%*\~~,,, ,,,~~\*%§¶
@¶§%*\~~,, ,,~~\*%§¶@
#@¶§%*\~~, ,~~\*%§¶@#
@¶§%*\~~,, ,,~~\*%§¶@
¶§%*\~~,,, 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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