.,~^*$@###                                          ###@$*^~,.
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.,~^*$@###                                          ###@$*^~,.
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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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..,~^*$@##                                          ##@$*^~,..