§%%%~,¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨,~%%%§
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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.          ¨¨,,,/%%@#
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@%%%%%/~,¨     BELL-LIKE SOUNDS OF THE BLINDING     ¨,~/%%%%%@
##@§%%/~,¨ GROUND.  RIFLES ATTACHED  TO OUR  WRIST, ¨,~/%%§@##
##@§%%/~,¨ SHARING  IN  OUR BLOODSTREAM.  MY HUSKY, ¨,~/%%§@##
@§%/,¨¨¨¨¨      MY WARM-COFFEE-IN-COLD-SNOW...      ¨¨¨¨¨,/%§@
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@%%%//~¨¨¨ 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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#§%%~~~~,¨                                          ¨,~~~~%%§#
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§§%/,,¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨,,/%§§