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.##....#.# ....#....#
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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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