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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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