@§§^-¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨-^§§@
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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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#@§%^^*--¨                                          ¨--*^^%§@#
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§^^^***--¨                                          ¨--***^^^§