†~.,,,,,,,                                          ,,,,,,,.~†
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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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§†~.,,,,,,                                          ,,,,,,.~†§