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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. ¨.»^%§¤@##
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¤%%%^^^».¨ 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. ¨.»^%§¤@##
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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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