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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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