**/~,,,,,,                                          ,,,,,,~/**
*/~,,,,,,,                                          ,,,,,,,~/*
/~,,,,,,,,                                          ,,,,,,,,~/
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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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