##$**«:,,,                                          ,,,:«**$##
#$**«:,,,,                                          ,,,,:«**$#
$**«:,,,,,                                          ,,,,,:«**$
**«:,,,,,,                                          ,,,,,,:«**
*«:,,,,,,,                                          ,,,,,,,:«*
«:,,,,,,,, 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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*«:,,,,,,,                                          ,,,,,,,:«*
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