#@@@%†;«~,                                          ,~«;†%@@@#
@@@%†;«~,,                                          ,,~«;†%@@@
@@%†;«~,,,                                          ,,,~«;†%@@
@%†;«~,,,,                                          ,,,,~«;†%@
%†;«~,,,,,                                          ,,,,,~«;†%
†;«~,,,,,, 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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