........,~ ~,........
........., ,.........
........,~ ~,........
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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... ^\~,......
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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. %^\~,.....
....,~\^%# #%^\~,....
...,~\^%#¶ 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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