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@¤*†*~~... ...~~*†*¤@
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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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@¤*†*~~... ...~~*†*¤@
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