We Punch Sharks

A man on a catamaran vacation spots a great white shark with extra eyes dotting its sides and a lipless human mouth on top of its head. Before he can process what he's seeing, a pulse hits him—not physical, but overwhelming. Visions flood his mind: shark attacks, news headlines about war and corruption, a world in chaos. Then he's in the water, punching a blacktip shark with both fists. One fist goes into the shark's mouth. The shark clamps down, severs his hand, and swims away. Seven months later, he's living out of a tent on the East Coast, his girlfriend gone, his job at the Foundation lost, searching for others who share his compulsion.

The Pulse and the Compulsion

The narrator—who we later learn is named Gabe—describes the experience with precision. The great white shark he saw on the catamaran was not normal. It had extra eyes dotting its sides and a lipless human mouth on top of its head. When he looked at it, a "pulse" originated from the creature. It didn't affect the water or hit him like wind, but he felt it coming from the shark. His legs buckled. Visions accompanied the feeling: shark attacks, news headlines about wars and corruption, a world in chaos. Notably, none of the horrific things he'd witnessed while working for the SCP Foundation came to mind. Only the general, ambient anger of the world.