,,,:«:%*§#                                          #§*%:«:,,,
,,:«:%*§##                                          ##§*%:«:,,
,:«:%*§###                                          ###§*%:«:,
,,:«:%*§##                                          ##§*%:«:,,
,,,:«:%*§#                                          #§*%:«:,,,
,,,,:«:%*§ 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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