=~,.......                                          .......,~=
~,........                                          ........,~
,.........                                          .........,
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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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=~,.......                                          .......,~=
*=~,......                                          ......,~=*
&*=~,.....                                          .....,~=*&
£&*=~,....                                          ....,~=*&£