,,,,,,,=^* *^=,,,,,,,
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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. ,,,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,,, ,,,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,,= =,,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,=^ ^=,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,=^* *^=,,,,,,,
,,,,,,=^*¤ ¤*^=,,,,,,