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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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