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###&%$/-,. .,-/$%##
###&%$/-,. .,-/$%##
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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 .....,-/%&
###&%$/-,. GROUND. RIFLES ATTACHED TO OUR WRIST, .,-/$%##
###&%$/-,. SHARING IN OUR BLOODSTREAM. MY HUSKY, .,-/$%##
&&$-...... MY WARM-COFFEE-IN-COLD-SNOW... ......-$&&
&&%/-,.... ....,-/%&&
###&%$/-,. THE FIRST FIVE SHOTS YOU CAN SPEND .,-/$%##
###&%$/-,. INDISCRIMINATELY, THEY HURT BUT DEAL NO .,-/$%##
###&%$/-,. LONG TIME DAMAGE TO THE SHOOTER. THE .,-/$%##
###&%$/-,. NEXT FIVE YOU MUST SPEND WISELY, THEY .,-/$%##
####&$/-,. WILL TAKE DAYS TO HEAL. THE FINAL FIVE .,-/$###
#&&&%$/-,. YOU MUST NOT SPEND AT ALL. .,-/$%&&
#%//,..... .....,//%#
&&$$$/,... WEEKS EARLIER, IN THE WEAK AUTUMN DAWN, ...,/$$$&&
###&%$/-,. IN THE BLUE-GRAY FOG... SOMETHING IS .,-/$%##
##&$/,.... BURNING WITH A DEEP CRIMSON FLAME, ....,/$#
#%%/,..... UNTAMEABLE BY WATER OR WIND. .....,/%%#
#%%%$/-... ...-/$%%%#
##%%$$/-,. .,-/$$%%##
#%$-...... ......-$%#
#%/-...... ......-/%#
&&&$-..... .....-$&&&