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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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