££*§:~:,,,                                          ,,,:~:§*££
#££*§:~:,,                                          ,,:~:§*££#
##££*§:~:,                                          ,:~:§*££##
#££*§:~:,,                                          ,,:~:§*££#
££*§:~:,,,                                          ,,,:~:§*££
£*§:~:,,,, 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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