Giuseppe felt the first tremors. The ground rippled and then began to tremble violently. The earth became soft and he saw himself falling into a crack. He had nothing to grab onto and nothing offered a firm foothold. He was helpless and terrified. He surrendered to the movements of the earth. He lay down, shielding his head with his hands. And prayed.
When the shaking stopped, he got out of the crack in the ground and ran towards the city. On the way, he passed fallen houses, cracked walls and squares full of potholes. It was a terrible sight. He ran home as fast as he could. When he arrived, he found... death. He saw the dead bodies of his mother, father and two sisters. It was his last day in L Aquila. He got on his horse and rode away...
