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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. ~,........
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.......... 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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