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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...      #@@§†;-~..
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..~-;†§@@# 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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