##@#@**~-¨ ¨-~**@#@##
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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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