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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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:~-....... .......-~: