##&%%\«~¨¨                                          ¨¨~«\%%&##
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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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#&%%\«~¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨~«\%%&#