###@**\«^, ,^«\**@###
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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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