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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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£§*%\~:,,,                                          ,,,:~\%*§£