@#$*\«,,,,                                          ,,,,«\*$#@
#$*\«,,,,,                                          ,,,,,«\*$#
$*\«,,,,,,                                          ,,,,,,«\*$
*\«,,,,,,,                                          ,,,,,,,«\*
\«,,,,,,,,                                          ,,,,,,,,«\
«,,,,,,,,, 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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