#@@#&$*=.¨ ¨.=*$&#@@#
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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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