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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. *-~.......
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.........~ 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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