#%%*~¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨~*%%#
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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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###£%*\~,¨                                          ¨,~\*%£###
££%*\~¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨~\*%££