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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. .......-~;
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-......... 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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