This is the scheming, steamy, suspenseful, bizarre 3,000-word short story from July 2011 that preceded the 80,000-word novel Gold, a summer story (2013). Some of the characters, scenes, and plot in this quick-read beach tale were used in the later novel. The action takes place in Carolina Beach, Wilmington, and Fort Fisher, NC, USA. Revised and reformatted for kindle and most other readers.
Mr. Malloy: not present
Sex: overheard by one character
Violence: contemplated
Drug usage: yes, copious by one character
Strangeness: moderate
Vengeance: contemplated
> Download both Gold ebooks and contrast and compare the stories. See what characters were kept and which ones got cut. Notice if the prevailing themes change or not.