(This is by far my favourite chapter.)

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Saluzzo, Piemont, Italy 25th of November, 1943

Everything fell into utter chaos last week. First they took Mister Buoni with them. I haven't seen Bella since then. But that's by far not the worst o fit. How naive I was, to think that the Squadrismos would only steal a bit of money from us.

Yesterday, when it was still early in the morning, there was a revolt by the market place. Bella was with them, Matteo was with them, and a few other people, which I normally only meet at church. 

And me? I simply stood there, for the bread sale, like every morning. Like a blind kitten, helpless without its mother and left to fend for itself. At the beginning, I could barely understand what was going on, but then it became more and more clear. And before I fully realised it, gunshots echoed through the air.

In retrospect, it's impossible to say who started it. To be honest, I barely remember what happened afterwards. I just remember how Matteo landed on the hard pavement. It looked like someone had spilled a bottle of red wine on the ground. For a moment, the world stood still. Then it began to snow. How can it snow so innocently, when something so horrible just happened?

After the revolt had ended, I could finally go to Matteo. He had almost been covered in snow, as if he were sleeping underneath a blanket. But he was completely cold and pale. That wasn't my friend, with whom I used to shoot birds, fish at streams or steal grapes from farmers.

Suddenly, he wasn't there anymore, even though he was still laying there. Now, that I write this, it's snowing again.