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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. .....»^^¤¤
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##@¤%^:»,. BELL-LIKE SOUNDS OF THE BLINDING .,»:^%¤@##
##%^^:»,.. GROUND. RIFLES ATTACHED TO OUR WRIST, ..,»:^^%##
###¤%^:»,. SHARING IN OUR BLOODSTREAM. MY HUSKY, .,»:^%¤###
#@#¤%^:»,. MY WARM-COFFEE-IN-COLD-SNOW... .,»:^%¤#@#
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#@#¤%^:»,. 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. .,»:^%¤¤##
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#@#¤%^:»,. 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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