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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. ¨¨¨¨,~:*&@
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###&$*:~,¨ BELL-LIKE SOUNDS OF THE BLINDING ¨,~:*$&###
@$$*~,¨¨¨¨ GROUND. RIFLES ATTACHED TO OUR WRIST, ¨¨¨¨,~*$$@
@@$:~,,,,¨ SHARING IN OUR BLOODSTREAM. MY HUSKY, ¨,,,,~:$@@
#&$$:::~,¨ MY WARM-COFFEE-IN-COLD-SNOW... ¨,~:::$$&#
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@$$$$*:~,¨ THE FIRST FIVE SHOTS YOU CAN SPEND ¨,~:*$$$$@
@&$$$*:~,¨ 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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