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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...      ,,,,,~:^*#
*^:~,,,,,,                                          ,,,,,,~:^*
^:~,,,,,,, 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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