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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. \~^.......
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.........^ 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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