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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.       ..........
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