Lost tapes. Black beast.

Black beast.

Monster: Beast of Exmoor.

"In the summer of 2008,  29 year old Travis Carter traveled to Devon England with his new wife  27 year old Stacy  to celebrate thier honeymoon. Thier plan was to spend a few days on Stacy's uncle Max's farm  a place she loved to go during her vacation with her Parents. She was also eager to show her new husband the life she knew as a child. Carter also saw this as a good chance to practice his film making skills since thier dream was to one day go into the profession. However little did the couple know that this trip would hold more secrets then the two of them realized one of them being quite deadly.

These are thier tapes."

Saturday. 4:45 PM.

"Opening seane,  The sky is slightly over case as a navy blue trailblazer makes its way down a dirt road on both sides of the vehicle the country sides are fenced in by wooden post fences behind which are rolling green pastures with scattered herds of cow and sheep. "

Stacy sat in the driver seat her short black hair hung in strands just inches above her hazel eyes. Her face was a happy smile as her new husband Carter sat beside her filming thier ride down the road. "Here we are, finally married and ready to enjoy our lives together." he said as he pointed the camera at his new wife making her chuckle. "How bout you save some of that film for later? I got a lot of stuff out here to show you." Stacy said looking at him quickly.  Carter grinned and turned the camera to face him  capturing a picture of his face he has green eyes and a faint  mustache  growing over his upper lip his tan brown hair hung in a medium length ponytail behind him. "I'm sure she does." He whispered softly. "Hey! This place may not be as crowded as where you live but It's quiet."  Stacy said assuming he meant the English country was going to be dull. "I never said anything." he told her turning his attention back out the window. "Looks like a whole lot of nothing out here though." he thought as the fields became  rockier and had patches of scattered wild flowers blooming about them. "Oh shit!!" Stacy spat as she suddenly slammed on the brakes and blasted the horn, scareing the shit out of both her and Carter. He turned and focused out front of him just as they nearly swerved off the road as a creature not far ahead of them darted quickly across. Carter only caught a flash of black as it did so. "Ah You ok sweety?!" Carter asked his attention turning to his wife Immediately. They fortunately managed to stop just intime only sliding partially off the road and thank fully neither of them was hurt. "I think so." she said hea heart pounding in her chest. "What the heck was that thing?" She asked not sure of what it was. "I'm not sure was it some kind of animal,  moved like it was a cat or something." he said. "No, No, we don't have any cats like that around here we have wild dogs but most of them have been wiped out. " Stacy explained.  That was definately not a dog though and it wasn't very small either.

"I think it may of taken off into those bushes up there." Carter said as he un buckled himself and opened his door to go and check it out wondering what the creature could of been. "Carter wait! don't get out!" she said  they had no idea what they had seen but she hoped it was nothing. "Oh quit worrying, I'll be fine!" he said "I just want to check it out I'll be back." With that Carter jumpped out of the car and walked though the semi long grass  camera pointed on the large clump of vegitation ahead of him. "I know I saw something question is what exactly?" He asked himself. "Honey becareful!" Stacy called out. "Shush!" he hissed back not wanting to scare what ever this creature was away if there was anything. "Ok, Let's see." Carter said as he began combing the vegitation for any signs of life. "Oh come on I couldn't of imagined it I know I saw something!" He said in irratation. the bushes seemed to form a sort of covered pathway between here and the fence so what ever they saw if it was anything could of darted off into the fields with out them knowing. "Wait, what was that?" Carter asked as he scanned the shadowed over growth. He definately hear what sounded like a feint growl from an animal.  "Hello is someone there?" he asked wondering it could of been Stacy of another person playing tricks. "Grrr," went the sound again this time a bit louder Carter could tell that it was definately feline in origin now that he heard it and what ever it was He could tell it was larger then a housecat. He could feel his heart rate speeding up slightly and the hairs on his neck raising up. Up on a small rocky hill he could see what resembled a den which may of been the home of a possible predator. "Grrrrrr!" came the growl again this time more aggressive sounding. Carter not knowing what to expecting grabbed his hand gun from his pocket holster clicking it to make sure it was loaded. "Ok If you're human you better tell me who you are! Other wise I'm gonna shoot!" he said heart pounding in his throat now. "Carter!" said Stacy as she touched him on the shoulder. "Gyah!!" he jumped turning around pointing his weapon at her in fear. "What the hell is wrong with you?!" she asked making him lower his weapon. "I'm sorry Baby, I thought, I thought." he panted trying to calm himself. "You thought what? You ok?" she asked him. "Yeah, I'm fine." He said holstering his weapon. "Listen the car's stuck, and I don't think we're going to be able to push it out." Stacy told him. "Well You said your Uncle's farm is nearby maybe we can just walk from here." Carter suggested. Stacy nodded and turned to leave. Carter followed her grabbing one last shot of the cave in the rocks  wondering if there really was anything in there or not.

6:30 PM.

The couple had been walking along the road since leaving the car behind Carter had handed the camera over to Stacy who had been begging for a chance to use it herself. "Wow, this thing is bad ass!!" she said amazed by it. "Yeah was a great gift, thank you dad." he said as he walked backwards looking at her. "Think You'll ever mend things with your Mother?" Stacy asked since she was the only one absent at the wedding. "I don't know She doesn't exactly have the highest opinion of me or Dad anymore, all she really cares about is getting her next score." Carter said sadly. "You really should try to have a relationship with her though." Stacy said Carter knew she was right but would rather not talk about this now. "Hey this is his place right comeing up on the left?" He asked pointing to the small two story cottage on the hill there was a beat up pick up truck in the driveway. "Yep! that's his place! Hey Uncle Max it's Me! Stacy!!" she called hoping to hear him. "Hello! Uncle!!" she called again after there was no answer. "That's kind of weird, he said he would be home." she said. "Well could he be out in the fields?" Carter asked. "I don't, Ah hold on, I gotta tie my shoe." She said, Carter nodded and kept on going up the hill ahead of her. Stacy grumbled to herself as she laided the camera down on the ground facing her. "Grrrr," came a noise from the thick grass ahead of her. "What? Carter? is that you?" she asked as she looked out at the fields blowing slightly in the winds which accompanied the growing twilight. "Grrrrr, Hiss!" said the voice again. Stacy jumpped up grabbing the camera and forgetting her shoes focusing on the fields a distinct fear was beginning to grow in her now. "What, what is that?" she asked, out in the grass she couls see a figure just sitting out there looking at her, what ever it was it was definately not human it was somesort of animal and a big one at that with yellow eye shine, that betrayed the eyes of a predator. The creature slowly began walking towards her   Stacy began to walkaway from the creature  which then began to break into a run. "Carter, Carter!!!" she said. "Grrroooowarrrrr!!!" the creature roared exploading  from the field and giving chase after her. "HELP!! CARTER!!!" she yelled. her feet  crunching against the gravel road as she ran up the hill the creature close behind her. "CARTER!!!!!" Stacy called again reaching the top of the hill but slipping on a large stone and slipped down to Her knees as sharp rocks cut into her right knee. "GRROOOWWWAR!!!!"  the creature roared  "Bang Bang!!"  fire a gun scaring the black cat like beast back into the fields where it came from. "Stacy Come on!!" Looking up she could see her husband and Uncle both armed and running towards her. "You ok?!" He asked  clicking his gun and pulling another round into the chamber, "No, I think I busted my Knee!" she said looking down at the bloody wound on her leg it was a bad injury and she couldn't run on it. "It's coming back Let's move!" Max said firing his rifle at the creature  as it moved below the cover of the fields. Carter took Stacy's hand and pulled her up helping her into the house. Max followed them in just in time.

"Oh My leg." Stacy said as she sat down on the couch. Carter took the camera now looking at the nasty gash which was still covered with blood and gravel. "Here Let me have a look at it." Said max dropping down to look at his neice's wound. "What the hell was that thing?!" Carter asked. "I have no idea, but the damn thing's been after alot of my Livestock lately. I've tried looking for it before but it always gets away. This is the first time It's ever made an attack in front of me though." Max explained. "Was it some, Some kind of Panther or a leopard?" Carter asked. "I told you we don't  have things like those around here!!" Stacy said. "So what the fuck was it huh?!" he countered the light from the sun was all but gone now and he knew that predators were more active at night. "I don't know!!" Stacy said  starting to cry. Carter then sat down and hugged her. "hey, hey, I'm sorry it's gonna be fine we're gonna get through it." He told her "It'll find us." she wept  knowing that this thing could easilly rip into the wooden door. they were trapped like rats.

9:30 PM.

As time passed it became obvious that what ever this creature was it was out there circling the house trying to find way in to get its now cornered prey. Carter uses his camera's night vision to get a better look at it. All he could tell was it was a large predatory cat of some kind. "What the hell is this?" He asked. Stacy moaned as she held her leg, she had also injured her ancle bone in the fall, while the bleeding had stopped it was painfully obvious she needed immediate medical attention. "We've gotta make a break for the truck." Max said as he reloaded his shot gun  "It's too far we'll never out run that cat." Stacy said not exactly hopeful of thier chances. "Baby we have to try look we cannot stay here anylong it will find away in eventually." Carter said trying to sooth her. "We're gonna die, we're gonna die." she said. "Listen , Listen to me no we are not, we're gonna get you help." Carter said. "There's three ways out, but the front is the quickest way to the Truck, I just filled her Up today never thought we'd need to use it for this though." Max said as he gave Carter the Keys. "Can you drive Stick?" he asked and Carter nodded yes. "Good Get Her to the truck then get outta here I'll try and," Max was cut off by the sound of wood splintering and violent feline growls emenating from behind the house. "IT'S GONNA COME THROUGH THE DOOR!!" Stacy said. "Carter  turned and grabbed her up Finally catching a clear view of the beast which was indeed a large Black cat It's teeth were red with fresh sheep's blood as it opened it's Jaws. "GRROOOOOOWWWARRRR!!!!" It roared chilling them to the bone! "RUN!!! get out!!" Max said trying to kill the beast. "We can't just! " "Go!!!!" He said Carter finally nodded and picked Stacy up Bridal style she held the truck Keys in her hand as they ran out. the sounds of Max being torn into filled the air as they ran out. Stacy unlocked the doors before throwing the keys to Carter who fired up the engine. and sent the truck into drive  rocketting down the drive way. Last thing Stacy's camera captured was a faint shine of the creatures yellow eyes as they escaped from thier hunter.

Stacy and Carter barely managed to escape from thier nightmare with thier lives, fortunately they were able to reach a small town where they got Stacy the much needed medical attention her leg needed. Uncle Max's body was recovered  but it was so badly mutilated that it could only be identifyed by dental records and DNA testing. Traces of Black fur were found on and around the body as well as several big cat pawprints, the exact species of which remains unknown. Carter and Stacy have since started a family but to this day refuse to talk about this incident

Stories of panthers and other large feline predators continue to spring up in many english countries thought out Europe but are these simply cases of misidentifycation or, Do they live among us?