Valarius is a merchant from Rome visiting Pompeii on business with his wife and family. A prominent art dealer has presented him with the chance of a lifetime... a golden opportunity which changes the fate and dynamics of his family forever. Pompeii, a Short Story is an action-packed, fictional account of the dramatic final hours in the lives of the Merchant Valarius Cotta and his wife Livia. This short story moves quickly as it draws you into the life, the terror and finally, the acceptance of a man facing his final moments in the wake of the fury of Mt. Vesuvius in 79 AD. "Pompeii, a Short Story" is the prequel of a soon to be released novel by Tina Concetta Marzocca called "The Merchant's Daughter." A bonus five chapters of the novel are included at the end of the story. Here you will get a taste of the remarkable and compelling turn of events which foreordains the fate of both children and propels them toward a powerful, climactic struggle.