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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... ,,,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,,, ,,,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,,, 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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