Episode 6 - Shapeshifter

THE PRESENCE OF HIDDEN CREATURES IS THE SUBJECT OF CONTINUED DEBATE

THE FOLLOWING STORY IS INSPIRED BY THE POSSIBILITY OF THEIR EXISTENCE

SOME VIEWERS MAY FIND THE MATERIAL TO BE EXTREMELY GRAPHIC AND DISTURBING

VIEWER DISCRETION IS ADVISED

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THERE ARE CREATURES THAT SCIENCE REFUSES OT RECOGNIZE,

BUT NEW TECHNOLOGY MAKES US QUESTION OF WHAT IS REAL.

IF OUR EYES SEE IT.....

IF OUR CAMERAS CAPTURE IT.....

DOES IT EXIST?

ENTER A REALM WHERE FACT MEETS FICTION,

SCIENCE MEETS LEGEND,

WHERE NIGHTMARES COME TO LIFE.

DO YOU BELIEVE?

LOST TAPES: SHAPESHIFTERS

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In September 2013, a search and rescue team was dispatched to locate three inexperienced campers lost in the Appalachian wilderness. The team was assembled by team leader Shadow, and veteran tracker Randy, along with two rookie medics Anna and Darrel, the latter who had suffered skin mutation from birth, giving him some reptilian features.

Though the team was prepared for anything, including hostile wildlife, they were not aware of the horror that awaited for them in the woods.

These are their tapes.....

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10:50 am

A camera opens to reveal four people wearing orange vests outside of a vehicle. Three of them are male and one female.

"Okay guys, here's what we've got." A purple haired male named Shadow said as the others gathered around him as he pointed at the map. "They entered the woods approximately 2 weeks ago for spring break camping trip and when they didn't return at school at Monday, we were called." He explained.

"What do we know about them?" A brunette male with reptilian features on his face named Darrel asked.

" We do know that they're college age. We know that there's one girl and two boys." Shadow answered. "The girl's name is Vanessa and the boys are Greg and Jack. We also have pictures so that we can identify them."

"How about first-aid experience?" The brunette female named Anna asked next.

Shadow shook his head. "To my knowledge, they have no first-aid experience. Anymore questions."

They shook their heads. "All right, let's move it people." Shadow said as he puts his Glock 43 pistols in his pocket as Darrel grabs the camera inside the vehicle.

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11:55 am

Shadow is seen walking ahead with Anna behind him as they all kept walking into the forest.

"HQ, this is Shadow, do you copy? Over." Shadow called to his walkie-talkie.

"This is HQ, over." The other voice answered.

"We're about a mile in, but there's no sign of our subjects." Shadow replied.

"Copy that, continue on. We'll be standing by." The voice said.

"Copy that." Shadow said as they continue to search for the three missing teenagers.

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3:21 pm

Shadow's camera then views the area as he stopped and turned to the others nearby. "Hold it guys." He raised a hand to signal the others to stop.

Anna's camera then shows the others wandering around as Shadow looks at his GPS. "It seems impossible these kids made it this far." Shadow concluded as he stared at the tracker on his hands.

Anna then tilts the camera up to the trees before swiftly turning as a loud groaning sound is heard. She then turns it to the others.

"What the hell is that?" Randy asked.

"I don't know." Shadow answered.

"It sounded like a human voice." Darrel concluded.

"I've never heard anything like that." Shadow as he took is binoculars and began to scan the area.

"Did you see something?" Anna asked.

"No." Shadow said from his camera as he looked one more time. "Nothing."

"Come on, let's keep moving. The longer we wait, the more trouble those kids are gonna be in." Shadow said as they continued to walk.

Anna and her camera were about to follow until she hears a brushing sound. She turns the camera to see a small cat watching her from a tree ten feet away. What was strange is that the cat had red eyes.

"Anna, let's go!" Darrel's voice broke her as she turns the camera around.

"I'm coming!" Anna said as she decides to see the cat once again, only to find out it has disappeared."

"That's strange." Anna hummed before deciding to shrug it and followed the others.

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3:40 pm

Shadow's camera sees Randy, Darrel and Anna following him until Shadow spots something behind the camera..

"There it is." Shadow said, catching their attention as he turns the camera to reveal pink, orange and blue tents torn up with belongings everywhere.

"Vanessa! Jack! Greg!" Shadow called out as they ran towards the tents.

"Check the tents." Randy said as he ran forward to find the teenagers.

"I got blood here." Shadow said as he looks at the blue tent with blood on the front as he stares at the camera with a grim look. Anna's camera sees Shadow pick his walkie-talkie again.

"HQ, this is Shadow." He called. "We've found the campsite, there are no hikers." But no one responded. "Base this is Shadow, do you copy?" Static. "Base this is Shadow, do you copy?"

"We're too far to get a signal." Anna pointed.

"Welp, whatever we do, we should replenish our water supply." Shadow pulls out his water bottle and hands it over to Anna. "There's a stream over 400 yards that way. But be quick, we're gonna need you back here."

"..... All right." Anna said somewhat reluctantly before going ahead.

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4:14 pm

"O yeah sure, get the newbie to fetch water from a forest that is filled with possible carnivores." Anna said sarcastically before seeing the stream ahead.

"Aha!" Anna said as she walked towards the stream, but then spots as she sees the same cat earlier. "Huh?" You again?" She questioned the cat.

The cat hissed before sprinting off, with Anna chasing it. As she rounds a corner, she spots someone sitting on a log with his back turned to him. Anna immediately recognized him as one of the missing

"Greg? Is that you?" Anna called out to him as she strutted towards him, but he didn't gave any reaction. She decided to call the team.

"Shadow! Shadow, over here!" Meanwhile, Randy's voice called as the camera shakes from Shadow running before arriving where Randy is standing.

"What?!" Shadow asked before looking at what Randy had discovered. Three bodies of two boys and one girl were laid, the ravenette boy was mutilated and torn in half. The silverette girl had her left arm missing and her chest open with intestines coming out and eyes wide open with terror. And the orangette boy had his entire face ripped off.

"Are they all three of the kids where looking for?" Darrel asked in a soft, mortified voice as Randy picks up a picture, before staring at the camera with the picture.

"It's them, Jack, Vanessa and Greg." Randy confirmed.

"What the hell could've done this?" Shadow said as he leans down and closed Vanessa's eyes. "This ain't a damn bear or cougar attack."

"No," Randy agreed. "Even an angered or hungry bear wouldn't cause this type of brutality." Just then his walkie-talkie buzzed and picks it up.

"Anna?" Randy answered.

"Guys, you won't believe this!" Anna's voice said over the radio.

"What? What is it?" Darrel asked as they all gathered around Randy.

"As I was making my way towards the stream, I saw a cat with red eyes, the same one I've seen before and when I was following it, I find Greg here sitting on a log. He isn't responding though." Anna said. But the last information she revealed dumbfounded the team.

"Greg? But that's impossible!" Shadow said with shock.

"Huh? What do you mean?" Anna asked confused. "He's literally here sitting on a log."

"Because we discovered his body here! Along with Vanessa and Jack!" Darrel pointed out, causing Anna to reel back in shock.

"B-But if he's dead and in your area....." Anna's voice said with fear as she began to slowly walks towards the boy. "T-then who's this person in front of-"

"Greg" immediately turns to face her, his eyes bloody red and has sharp teeth. He lets out a roar as he pounced on Anna. She shrieks in horror as she drops the camera, showing "Greg" mauling Anna as blood splatters on the camera.

"Anna!" The team called out in horrified shock as her screams of pain is heard along with flesh being ripped apart.

"Go! Go! Go!" Shadow yelled as he and the team breaks for it to help Anna as soon as possible.

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6:47 pm

"Anna! Anna!" The camera sees Darrel and Randy in front shouting Anna's name as they continue to search for her in the night.

"Anna!" Shadow calls out as they kept looking around. Suddenly, Shadow trips over something. "Ah!"

"Shadow, you okay?!" Randy's vice said in worry.

"I'm fine I just tripped on something-" Shadow cuts himself mid-sentence as he stares as Anna's half-eaten face.

"AAAHHH!!" Shadow, Darrel and Randy in shock as Shadow backed away from Anna's body and got up.

"Anna....." Darrel's heartbroken voice whispered as he slowly walks forward and leans down to Anna's body.

"Shadow." Shadow's camera turns to see Randy looking at something. "Over there."

Shadow turns to see the very cat Anna had seen before, with red eyes and hissing loudly.

"Stand back," Darrel pointed as he felt something is odd. "That's no ordinary cat."

"What?!" Randy and Shadow said.

"Get back now!" Darrel shouted before the cat suddenly morphs into a hideous creature with translucent skin and red eyes.

"What the fuck?!" Randy screamed as the creature roared and pounced on Darrel. He screamed and began to punch the creature as it claws him.

""Get the fuck off him!" Shadow pulled his Glock 43 pistol out and begins to shoot the creature, blood spayed but it still attacks Darrel then kicks it in the groin, causing to groan in pain bas Randy then shoulder tackles the creature away from Darrel, who Shadow grabs by the arm and drags him away.

"Let's get out of here!" Randy said as he kicks the creature away and they all made a run for it.

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8:44 pm

The camera shakes as Randy drags the bloodied Darrel as they kept running.

"We're halfway there!" Shadow said behind the camera. But then a loud trumpet like is and they turn to see an elephant with red eyes and semi scales around its face charging at them top speed.

"Are you kidding me?! That thing shapeshifts?!" Shadow yelled as they kept running while the elephant chases them. Unfortunately, they ran to the edge of a steep slope. Luckily, the vehicle is down at the bottom

"Jump!" Darrel yelled as Shadow drops camera when they all jumped just when the elephant almost reached them.

The camera left behind captures the elephant trumpeting in anger before shapeshifting again, this time it turns into Anna, only with red eyes and sharp teeth. It leans down to the camera and stares at it before letting out one, terrifying roar as the camera's battery died.

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Though severely injured from the jump, Shadow, Randy and Darrel all made to the vehicle and drove off to get proper treatment.

The deaths of Vanessa, Greg, Jack and Anna were attributed to bear attacks, but Anna's body was never found (Many theorized her body had been washed away by the stream).

The legend of shapeshifters have been dismissed are insanity and scary stories, but with conspiracy theories of otherworldly beings infiltrating human society to take over the world, leads us to ask the terrifying question:

Are we humans truly the dominant species of Earth..... or do they live among us?

LOST TAPES: SHAPESHIFTER