§:«.......                                          .......«:§
:«........                                          ........«:
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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.       .......«:§
*§:«......                                          ......«:§*
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@¶*§:«....                                          ....«:§*¶@
#@¶*§:«...                                          ...«:§*¶@#
##@¶*§:«..                                          ..«:§*¶@##