Shark Attack: A Love Story (Short Story)

Shark Attack: A Love Story is a short story by James Van Pelt. It appears in Weird Tales (1999) and Strangers and Beggars (2002), and Curious Fictions (Nov 16, 2018). It received a recommendation for the 1999 Stoker Award and recommendations for Nebula consideration. It was included as an honorable mention in Datlow and Windling’s Year’s Best Fantasy and Horror, 13th Edition.

Word Count: 2,434

Author's Note
From Curious Fictions:

''When I wrote this piece, many of my friends were academic/literary. They were interested in the metaphorical meanings in the story. They didn't believe me when I told them it was just a childhood fantasy of mine transplanted into the adult world. Sometimes a shark is just a shark.''

Characters

 * Willard - an employee at a title company, he likes to build ships in bottles
 * Elsa - a prim title clerk
 * Benford - the new mail boy; eaten by a shark
 * Humphrey - the chief accountant
 * Quinton or Quigley - a man Willard doesn't know well
 * Mr. Trusty - the office manager

Summary
Willard is startled from his work when Benford is attacked by a shark from under the surface of the aquamarine shag carpet. Willard climbs upon his desk and reaches out a hand to help. They lock hands for a moment, but the shark drags Benford under.

Willard has seen shark fins cutting through the carpet for days, but no one else seems to see them. He's tried to tell Elsa, the woman who works at the desk next to his, but can't work up the courage to tell her.

Mr. Trusty shouts at Willard for being on his desk. Willard gets down but makes sure his feet don't touch the carpet. Mr. Trusty tells Willard to stay late working on the Hinson deal, and when he leaves, Willard notices bulge between the man's shoulder blades.

When the office is mostly empty, Willard hears Elsa crying at the death of Benford. She confirms that she can see the sharks. Soon a large group of sharks begins circling the pair. They climb onto their desks in an attempt to wait out the sharks. When they realize they can't wait them out, Elsa cuts her hand on her nail file, smears the blood on her blouse, and tosses it away. With the sharks distracted by the blood, the two of them hop desk to desk for the exit.

Once in the tiled hallway, Willard finds the courage to invite Elsa to his place.