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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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,,,,,,~~\* *\~~,,,,,,