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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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