,,»^**## ###&**^»,,
,,,»^**# ##&**^»,,,
,,,,»^** #&**^»,,,,
,,,,,»^**& &**^»,,,,,
,,,,,,»^** **^»,,,,,,
,,,,,,,»^* 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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