:.........                                          .........:
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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.       ...:~^†%£#
@#£%†^~:..                                          ..:~^†%£#@
#@#£%†^~:.                                          .:~^†%£#@#
@#£%†^~:..                                          ..:~^†%£#@
#£%†^~:...                                          ...:~^†%£#
£%†^~:....                                          ....:~^†%£