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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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