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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...      ¤§%:~.....
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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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