S20 Ep13: Pitch-black predators: Alien Big Cats Vol. 2 (Sn. 20 Ep. 13)

Summary

Monsters Among Us S20 Ep13: Pitch-Black Predators: Alien Big Cats Vol. 2

Podcast Overview In this chilling installment, host Derek Hayes returns to the mysterious, hotly debated phenomenon of “Alien Big Cats” (ABCs)—anomalous sightings of large, predatory feline creatures (usually black or ‘melanistic’ cats) that science insists shouldn’t exist in North America. Calling on firsthand stories submitted by listeners, the episode pounces from South Carolina to Texas, Montana to Ontario, Ohio to Alabama and Tennessee, compiling direct witness accounts, family legends, and even a tantalizing video. Hayes weighs theories ranging from misidentified local wildlife to creatures of paranormal or interdimensional origin, peppering the show with personal insights and historical context. The tone remains open, spooky, and grounded in the show’s signature mix of skepticism and wonder.

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Main Themes and Purpose

• Exploration of “Alien Big Cats”: Eyewitness accounts of large black cats seen in areas where official agencies deny their existence
• Regional Hot Spots: Focus on clusters of sightings in the Southeastern U.S. (Tennessee, South Carolina, Alabama), but also including Montana, Ohio, Texas, and Canada
• Debate: Natural vs. Paranormal: Are these real, undiscovered animals, color morphs like melanistic jaguars, cryptid felines, or something supernatural?
• Importance of Firsthand Stories: Listeners’ own voices sharing multi-generational and corroborated encounters, suggesting a persistent phenomenon
• Skepticism vs. Belief: Discussion of state wildlife agencies’ refusal to acknowledge sightings and the tension between what people experience and what science allows

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Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. Big Cat Footprints in South Carolina

[03:15–06:22]

• Witness: Donald from Myrtle Beach, SC
• Details: Large feline prints found in a neighbor’s garden, with a second set of smaller prints:
  • Community Facebook post revealed multiple similar sightings; others skeptical
  • Discovery of multiple animal kills (coyotes, dogs, deer) supports presence
  • State denied the existence, but physical and anecdotal evidence persisted
  • Quote: “People are seeing it and there's definitely tracks there. So they refused to even entertain the idea.” —Donald, [05:05]

2. The Beast of Bladenboro and Taste for the Paranormal

[06:22–08:18]

• Host Recap: The infamous “beast” killed dogs in North Carolina in the 1950s and 2000s; witness accounts described brutal attacks.
• Derek’s Take: “That’s why I always scoff when people say these creatures aren’t or can’t be paranormal because frankly, none of that sounded normal to me at all.” —Derek, [07:43]

3. The Naturalist’s Counterpoint from Texas

[08:18–10:01]

• Anonymous Caller: Insists seeing big cats in East Texas is normal and not paranormal—mountain lions, bobcats, and panthers all exist
  • Suggests increased encounters due to shrinking wilderness
  • “The more people there are on the planet, the less places these animals and stuff have to go. So, I mean, we're going to run into each other on occasion, you know.” —Anonymous, [09:10]

4. Rare Sighting in Montana

[11:51–14:40]

• Caller: Reports both parents saw a solid black mountain lion at a Montana campground (an animal science says doesn’t exist)
  • Law enforcement spouse confirms previous reports without photographs
  • “He realized this was clearly a mountain lion, except the problem with it is it was black, and black mountain lions don't exist.” —Caller, [12:08]
  • Host contextualizes: Melanism not documented in mountain lions

5. Canadian Wilderness Encounters and Cryptid “Roars”

[16:27–19:55]

• Kevin: Two stories from deep northern Ontario
  • Father saw a black “panther” cross a remote dirt road
  • Kevin and friend heard an unearthly roar while camping, later matched to supposed Bigfoot audio
  • “Whatever it was that was roaring filled the entire valley with this roar. Unbelievable roar. We were terrified.” —Kevin, [18:06]

6. Tennessee: The New Hotbed for Alien Big Cats?

Emma’s Confirmation from Scotland & West Tennessee
[22:06–23:14]

• Emma: Raised in Tennessee, now in Edinburgh—corroborates recent ABC sightings in west Tennessee (“it’s kind of crazy, like nobody really talks about it much, but like everyone knows that they’re there”).
  • Derek found 9 confirmed sightings mapped by state wildlife agency

Angie’s Family Encounters
[25:28–29:24]

• Family legend of a black cat at a window in the 1960s–70s, and a modern sighting by her husband
  • Wildlife and pets behave strangely before sightings
  • “I wasn't aware that we weren't supposed to have alien big cats ... I thought that cougars, mountain lions, and even pigmented big cats were just accepted as a reality in our part of the country.” —Angie, [27:12]

Ann’s Brother and the Migrating Panthers
[31:08–34:19]

• Family in middle Tennessee recalls seeing “lion-sized” cats; neighbor later confirms adult sighting
  • Wildlife official said Florida panthers may be migrating north
  • “Maybe sometimes these big black cats that people are seeing are maybe mountain lions or like Florida panthers ... maybe they're evolving and we don't know.” —Ann, [33:36]

7. Flying Leap in Alabama

[37:23–40:29]

• Pete: Working at dawn, watched a black cat as big as his 135lb dog leap across a road in a single bound
  • “I'm an owner of a large conne corso ... whatever this cat was ... was at minimum the size of my dog, a little larger, if I had to say ... it had to be close from, you know, tail to front feet, roughly 8ft.” —Pete, [39:12]

8. Urban Panther in 1980s Columbus, Ohio

[41:42–44:37]

• Nicole: Friend saw an enormous black panther walk through a neighborhood in 1986; locals had exotic pets, but no news of escaped large cats
  • “It was definitely a panther. It was not a kitty cat ... it was big.” —Nicole, [43:50]
• Derek notes identical description to his own childhood sighting nearby: “If you can get one of these melanistic jaguars or leopards into the sunlight, you'll see their spots.”

9. Deer-Sized Shadow in Rural Ohio

[45:48–48:49]

• Gray: Driving in secluded east-central Ohio, witnesses a pitch-black, deer-sized cat lightning-fast across a dirt road; both witnesses independently agree on feline features and size
  • “We look at each other and we're like, was that a cat? But the size of a deer? I'm telling you, it was massive.” —Gray, [47:15]

10. Video Evidence and the South Carolina Lake Cat

[51:00–52:45]

• Lane: Multiple area witnesses near Lake Murray; coworker’s father filmed a large black cat near lakeshore—Derek reviews the video and suspects a very large domestic cat, though leaves judgment open
  • “Before seeing these big cats, I didn't even know that people had seen them in South Carolina. And then when I saw them, all of a sudden people were like, yeah, no, they exist here.” —Lane, [51:32]

11. A Family of Black Panthers in East Texas

[54:54–62:44]

• Anonymous: Grew up hunting on remote Texas land—encountered a family group of black panthers over several years, even petted a cub; routine encounters, grumbling vocalizations, and a photograph exist
  • “We're just staring this thing down, like. And it's staring up, down. ... Three cubs, like the biggest kittens I've ever seen in my life, just come trotting out.” —Anonymous, [55:51; 59:27]
• Derek: Most likely a melanistic jaguar; distribution rarely includes Texas, but documented historically

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• "People are seeing it and there's definitely tracks there. So they refused to even entertain the idea." —Donald (SC), [05:05]
• "That’s why I always scoff when people say these creatures aren’t or can’t be paranormal, because frankly, none of that sounded normal to me at all." —Derek, [07:43]
• "The more people there are on the planet, the less places these animals and stuff have to go. So, I mean, we're going to run into each other on occasion, you know." —Anonymous (TX), [09:10]
• "He realized this was clearly a mountain lion, except the problem with it is it was black, and black mountain lions don't exist." —Montana Caller, [12:08]
• "Like nobody really talks about it much, but like everyone knows that they're there." —Emma (now in Scotland, from TN), [22:26]
• "I wasn't aware that we weren't supposed to have alien big cats as you call them, in our area. I thought that cougars, mountain lions, and even pigmented big cats were just accepted as a reality in our part of the country." —Angie, [27:12]
• "It's a lion. It's like a lion size that doesn't have a mane." —Ann’s brother (via Ann, Middle TN), [32:23]
• "I know for certain I saw what I saw." —Pete, (AL), [39:13]
• "It was definitely a panther. It was not a kitty cat ... it was big." —Nicole, [43:50]
• "We look at each other and we're like, was that a cat? But the size of a deer? I'm telling you, it was massive." —Gray, [47:15]
• "Before seeing these big cats, I didn't even know that people had seen them in South Carolina. And then when I saw them, all of a sudden people were like, yeah, no, they exist here." —Lane, [51:32]
• "When my dad cocked his rifle, it turned to him and just clear as day, you could see the whiskers. ... The last thing you want to do with a big cat like that is bend down in front of it or feed it or approach its den or touch its cubs. Basically, everything you did that day was wrong. But I guess you did something right because you're still here to tell the tale." —Anonymous (TX) & Derek’s reaction, [55:51; 62:44]

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Timeline of Critical Segments

• 01:38–02:30 — Derek’s intro; explains focus on “Big Black Cats,” dismisses superstition to introduce ‘alien’ big cats as a cryptid
• 03:15–06:22 — Donald’s SC prints and neighborhood reactions
• 06:22–08:18 — “Beast of Bladenboro”; dog killings and the case for high strangeness
• 08:18–10:01 — Anonymous East Texas: normalizing big cats, not paranormal
• 11:51–14:40 — Montana sighting by caller's parents
• 16:27–19:55 — Kevin’s Ontario “panther” and Bigfoot roar
• 22:06–23:14 — Emma (Scotland, formerly TN): corroborates West Tennessee as a hot spot
• 25:28–29:24 — Angie: generational and recent ABC encounters, animal behavior changes
• 31:08–34:19 — Ann: brother’s childhood sighting in middle TN, neighbor confirmation, discussion of panther migration
• 37:23–40:29 — Pete: Abbeville, AL sighting, size comparison to own large dog
• 41:42–44:37 — Nicole: 1980s Columbus, OH “panther,” exotic pet theory
• 45:48–48:49 — Gray: Rural Ohio deer-sized black cat, vanishes in undergrowth
• 51:00–52:45 — Lane: Video of lakeshore black cat, community corroboration
• 54:54–62:44 — Anonymous: Decade of East Texas black panther encounters with photographic claim

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Other Insights & Observations

• Ecological Explanations: Some callers and the host suggest explanations ranging from displaced wildlife, habitat encroachment, and rare color morphs (melanism) to escaped exotic pets.
• Paranormal Possibilities: Many remain open to a paranormal origin—especially in cases where animal behavior, sudden disappearances, and fear responses seem beyond “normal” wildlife.
• State Denial & Community Consensus: Wildlife officials typically deny big cat presence; rural communities sometimes treat sightings as open secrets.
• Rare Video Evidence: A submitted video is scrutinized but inconclusive—could be a very large domestic cat.
• Historical Context: Derek notes the continued presence (and historical elimination) of big cats in many states, and also highlights the rare but real existence of melanistic jaguars.

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Conclusion

In classic Monsters Among Us fashion, S20 Ep13 blends direct testimony, folklore, wildlife biology, and gentle skepticism to probe one of North America’s most tantalizing cryptid mysteries. The episode leaves the question open: Are Alien Big Cats simply rare, unverified animals, a case of collective misidentification, or something weirder stalking the edge of our reality? Wherever the truth lies, Hayes offers one clear message: “You keep it spooky,” and keep your eyes open—especially if you live near woods, fields, or the edge of town.

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For More: Photos, maps, and the referenced video are in the episode’s show notes on [monstersamonguspodcast.com]. If you have your own unexplained encounter, call the hotline or email Derek with your story!

Transcript

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[B]

Good evening and welcome to Monsters Among Us. I'm your guide, Derek Hayes. Howdy folks. Lucky number 13. It's hard to believe we're already 13 episodes in to season 20. And it's even harder to believe that our 10 year anniversary is right around the corner. And listen, since it's episode 13, I figured we'd try our luck. So I broke a couple of mirrors, walked under a ladder while spilling a shaker of salt. Then I assembled tonight's broadcast, an episode all about black cats. And not just black cats, but big black cats. Not that I believe that black cats are actually unlucky. I have two of them of my own. No, I'm not talking about the superstitious kind. I'm talking about the massive, deadly, sleek and elusive big cats that folks all over the country encounter, even though science says they do not and cannot exist. And as an experiencer of this phenomenon myself, this is a subject that is near and dear to me. So welcome to the latest all ABC episode. And to kick us off here tonight, we begin in South Carolina. Donald, welcome back to the show.

[C]

Hey Derek. This is Donald from South Carolina. I live right around the Myrtle beach area and we've had some bizarre things happen around here. One particular day one of my neighbors called me over. He bought an extra lot right next to his house just to grow a nice garden. It's probably about a fifth of an acre. He called me over and says, hey Donald, come on over here, I need you to check something out for him. He goes, I found these like strange prints out by my garden and we walked over there and took a look at them. And they were large feline prints. They were huge. I mean, they were probably close to the size of my hand with my fingers laid out. And then there was another set of little ones. So I looked at him and said, hey, you got yourself a big cat. You know, cougar, mountain panther, whatever you want to call it, just a large cat. And he was pretty shocked about that. We kind of both had the feeling that something was watching us. It was probably around noon. It was in 2015. It was a clear day out, weather was great. It was just kind of one of those things. We were like, oh, this is kind of odd. So I just called him. I said, hey, listen, just, you know, we had a little bit of debris around where something could hide. You might want to clean that stuff up. Kind of don't make a place for this thing to hide out. And definitely don't go out by yourself at night. If you need, call me, I'll come over with you and we'll do whatever you need to do. And that was pretty much that. Well, the next day I went on Facebook on our neighborhood page, and I wanted to let everybody know, hey, just be careful, there's a large cat out here and I don't want anybody's pets or anything else to get attacked. We got a couple responses. Some people like, ah, there's no big cat, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah. And then we had actually a bunch of people say that they had actually seen a large black cat cross the highway. It's called 707. It was pretty interesting. So several people had said they seen it. And then some doubters kept saying, oh, there's nothing there, there's nothing there. Well, my son was taking course lessons on an 80 acre farm which is just right across from we live. They're building a highway called Highway 31. And I guess that displaced a lot of animals in there. A year before there was a bear. But now we're like, we asked the state and they said there's no such thing, they don't exist here. And okay, well, people are seeing it and there's definitely tracks there. So they refused to even entertain the idea. And then where my son was taking his lessons, I was walking some of the trails and I found a lot of kill there. I found a lot. I found some dead coyotes that were taken down, dogs, cats, a couple of deer. It was pretty interesting, for sure. You know, I had the air in the back of my neck stand up. I personally didn't see anything. I just thought you might be interested in this because I noticed the big cat Topic is something that you do talk about from time to time. Well, anyway, Derek, love the show. Keep up the good work and thank you very much for all that. You do. Have a great day. Bye.

[B]

Thank you, sir. You know, Myrtle beach is only about 70 miles from Bladenboro, North Carolina, the home of the infamous beast of Bladenboro, a large, dark cat like predator that had the county of Bladen gripped with fear. The creature's reign lasted from 1953 to early 1954, then returned several times over the years, the latest big flap occurring sometime in the early 2000s. The creature was infamous for killing dogs, and it did so gruesomely. The following testimony is courtesy of a victim of the beast named Johnny Vous. My dogs put up a good fight. There was blood all over the porch, big puddles of it. And there was a pool of saliva on the porch. It killed one dog at 10:30 and left it lying there. My dad wrapped the dog up in a blanket. That thing came back and got that dog and nobody's seen it since. At 1:30 in the morning, it came back and killed the other dog and took off. We found it three days later in a hedgerow. The top of one of the dog's heads was torn off and its body was crushed and wet like it had been in that thing's mouth. The other dog's lower jaw was torn off. And that's why I always scoff when people say these creatures aren't or can't be paranormal because frankly, none of that sounded normal to me at all. But speaking of that stance, that seems to be where our next caller is coming from. Please welcome Anonymous out of the lone star state of Texas.

[A]

Hi, I would like to remain anonymous, but I'm actually calling just to give out some information for the ABC cat. I'm referencing Tom from Louisiana who had seen two ABC cats that stretched across the length of a road in Louisiana. And he said he had asked around, you know, and people were saying that they had come from east Texas. Well, I live in east Texas and I will say that we do have mountain lions. We got bobcats. We also have panthers. And I've seen literally all of them here in Texas being, you know, almost 36 years old. As a resident, this is just normal, everyday stuff. I don't really think that it's paranormal at all. These animals do migrate. These things don't make sense. Like to see one and think that it's paranormal. It's definitely a cat. You know, it's a wild animal. Obviously it's not domesticated. But the more people there are on the planet, the less places these animals and stuff have to go. So I mean, we're gonna run into each other on occasion, you know. But I just wanted to say that needed to speak my piece about the ABC cats. I mean, I totally believe in the paranormal. 110 have seen things all the time, witnessed things, heard things, whatever, but it's not illogical to see a cat, you know. That's why I called. Anyway, have a good day.

[B]

Thank you caller. I can see that point of view as well, though honestly. These could be a rare species of big cat that have somehow eluded capture or identification despite constant run ins throughout the country. I suppose that's possible, but it's certainly not nearly as fun as the alternative that these creatures are alien, interdimensional or of some other unearthly origin. Now, you have plenty of opportunities to night to make your own decision and I'm going to get right to those stories right after this brief commercial break.

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Now admittedly, most sightings of this creature stem from the eastern Midwest in places like New York, Virginia, Pennsylvania, Tennessee and Kentucky. But sometimes we receive reports from places you wouldn't expect to hear from one of these creatures. Places like Montana.

[A]

Hi Derek, I am calling to you from a small town in Montana about halfway between Bozeman and Missoula. And I am calling to tell you about something that just happened, but not to me, to my parents who happen to be in town right now visiting. They are staying a few blocks away from me at a campground. And my dad was sitting outside watching the kind of cliffy hillside behind him because there were a bunch of marmots or rock chucks running around on it when he noticed something large and black. And he said at first as he was watching it he thought it was a Bear. But as it came down the hillside lower and lower, and he got a better look at it, he realized this was clearly a mountain lion, except the problem with it is it was black, and black mountain lions don't exist. So he realized that nobody was going to believe him. So he called my mother outside and she also saw what they are calling a black mountain lion. To the point where my mom said, you know, it was a panther. We were looking at a panther. Except panthers don't exist, allegedly in Montana. Now, my husband happens to be in law enforcement, so I gave him a call and let him know what they had just seen because it had disappeared out of sight. They're still sitting, hoping they can see it again and get a photo of it. And he said that he knows there's been at least one other report to Fish and Game in the past few years in the area about someone seeing a black panther, but that there was no photographic proof that time. So Fish and Game didn't really believe the report. So, I mean, hopefully my parents can manage to get a photo or see it again during their time here and capture it, because without a photo, I don't think anyone is going to believe them. Now, me being obsessed with your show at All Things Spooky and Cryptid was so excited to hear about it and immediately started telling them all about the big cats and everything going on. And they're non believers, so they just kind of laughed me off. But I do think it made them feel better to know that other people have seen big black cats where they're not supposed to be. Okay, I'm gonna get back to listening to your show, which is what I was doing when I got the phone call. I truly love listening to it in reverse and kind of hearing how it has changed over the seasons. Thank you and have a great day.

[B]

Thanks, caller, and thanks for tuning in to that back catalog. Now, I've spoken about mountain lion genetics ad nauseam, but it's important to know the ins and outs of the species to understand just how odd a sighting like this actually is. It's commonly accepted by science that mountain lions are very rarely melanistic or all black. It's even possible that they are never all black. They may lack the genetics required for that specific mutation. And as far as I know, there have only been about four albino specimens confirmed to date in zero black or melanistic examples. But perhaps now I can no longer make that claim because a listener sent me an email a while back of a photo taken of a taxidermied big cat that is indeed dark brown or black in color. The specimen is located, according to Alfred, who sent in the email, on Highway 60 west of Seneca, Oklahoma, near the welcome to Oklahoma sign on the Missouri border. Of course, the photo is up in the show notes and I'll see what I can do about getting it posted to our socials as well. Go take a look. Was this a real animal or some taxidermied art? Now, another place we seldom hear these sorts of reports from is Canada, but here to represent his country is Kevin. So please welcome him to the program.

[C]

Hey, Derek, it's Kevin. Columbus, Ohio. I grew up near Buffalo, near Niagara Falls there. And so to give you a little background, I used to go to Canada with my father, fishing in the very remote Northern Canadian forest, the largest uninterrupted forest on the planet. So if you leave Buffalo and you go up to Toronto, then we would go another 10 hours north of Toronto, and if anybody looks at a map, it's quite remote. And then we would get up to this place and we would take about 60 miles of dirt road back into this sort of chain of lakes. Not unusual to fish up there for a week and never see anybody. If you want to look on a map and see where Timmins, Ontario is, we would be about an hour and a half or two hours from there. So I started going there when I was very young. My dad and I would go several times a year and have been going up there most of my life as I got older. And, you know, my dad would go certain times and I would go certain times. And one time my dad came back and he goes, you're not going to believe what I saw. I saw a black panther cross the dirt road in front of the car when we were driving in. And when you're on the dirt road, you know, you're only doing maybe 30, 35 miles an hour. And of course, being in that Canadian wilderness a lot and being very outdoorsy, my dad absolutely knew that it was a black cat, you know, like a mountain lion. And he said, yep, it was a black panther. He called it a panther and crossed the road right in front of us. I was like, wow. I was fascinated. So years later, this is kind of a dual story on Cryptids. A friend of mine and I were up there camping and it was in sort of early October, and about 2 o' clock in the morning, we were camping in a tent and got woken out of a dead sleep to this horrible roar, like a human being roaring at a volume that a human could never yell at. We're sort of camped in this river valley that's about maybe a mile or two miles across the and sort of goes for about 10 miles. And whatever it was that was roaring filled the entire valley with this roar. Unbelievable roar. We were terrified. It was of course, two o' clock in the morning. We were terrified. It went on for about 20 or 30 minutes. My buddy and I were, you know, in this seemingly little tent that just it lit up the entire river valley. When I got home, I listened to some Bigfoot or sasquatch videos on YouTube and actually was able to find that sound. Exactly. So I still go up there and I've never heard it again. But I'm pretty sure that I may have run across one of our Bigfoot friends. So hey, thanks so much for your podcast. Really enjoy it and keep up the good work. Thanks. Bye bye.

[B]

Thank you, Kevin. A big cat story with a possible bonus Bigfoot tail tossed in as well. We'll certainly take it, Kevin. Now, as for the sighting, like Montana, there does seem to be a sustained population of cougars in Ontario, but the province is so big that it's difficult to say the animals live in each and every corner. And also, what are the chances of one of them being the ultra rare and perhaps non existent melanistic variety? And furthermore, what are the chances that there would be someone there to witness it? Now, none of that confirms that this could not have been a cougar, but it certainly makes it a little less likely. Thanks again Kevin for sharing the call. Now folks, if you too have a story you would like to share, give our hotline a call at 888-6089. That's 888-608-NIG HT. Or record your story as a voice memo and email the file to me at Monsters Among Us Podcast ed gmail dot com. And don't forget about Monsters Among Us Junior. New shows drop every other Wednesday. We sure could use the calls over there. 833 MAU kids, have your youngsters tune in and submit their very own paranormal experience if they have one. And while I'm reminding, remember to ask the older folks at this year's Thanksgiving dinner if they have any paranormal stories they might be willing to share. We have a funny feeling we'll find ourselves enjoying many of those entries. And speaking of enjoying entries, I bet you'll enjoy this next one from Emma calling in all the way from Scotland.

[A]

Hi Derek, this is Emma from Tennessee, but I am sending you this recording all the way from Edinburgh, Scotland. I'm currently getting my master's here. Still trying to get up to date on all the episodes. I'm on the season 12 finale and Cody just called in. Like I literally just heard his story and I paused the recording to like corroborate. I'm also from west Tennessee. I'm from a town called Martin. And Cedar Grove is probably about like 45 minutes or so away from Martin, give or take. He's talking about the ABCs. And there are in fact ABCs there in and around west Tennessee. It's kind of crazy. Like nobody really talks about it much, but like everyone knows that they're there. Just recently, a couple of months ago, there was a ABC sighting in Martin in my hometown. It was, I think it was behind like some fields out by the high school. And I even know exactly like what military base he's talking about down there. Yeah, crazy. He's not wrong. There's some weird stuff out there.

[B]

Thank you, Emma. Now, Emma seems to be correct in her statement. There are apparently big cats in western Tennessee. Delaney sent me an interactive map that the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency assembled and apparently still maintains that shows us all of the confirmed mountain lion sightings in the state. And as of this recording, there are nine pins in the map indicating nine separate encounters, all located in western Tennessee. Now, I've linked to the map in tonight's show notes, so go take a gander yourself. And when I return, more alien big cats right after this to make him.

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Now staying in the Volunteer State, West Tennessee. In fact, please join me in welcoming Angie to the program.

[A]

Hello Derek, My name is Angie and I'm calling from West Tennessee. I've been contemplating this call for a while and finally gathered the nerve to do it. I have several stories that I'd like to share, but the one that I'd like to start out with is an alien bootcat sighting. The first one happened in my mother's childhood home, probably in the late 1960s or early 1970s. She told me the story quite regularly when I was a child, and the details never deviated. She had just gotten out of the bathtub and it was after dark, and she was using her window as a mirror to brush her hair in. And as she was brushing her hair, she noticed two very greenish yellow eyes and a large black cat head staring through the window back at her. And obviously she screamed for my grandfather and he ran out onto the porch with the shotgun. But by the time he made it out onto the porch, there was no sign of the cat. So having heard that story since I was a little girl, I wasn't aware that we weren't supposed to have alien big cats, as you call them, in our area. I thought that cougars, mountain lions, and even pigmented big cats were just accepted as a reality in our part of the country. So when I first started listening to your podcast about two years ago, when my husband Chris turned me onto your show, I was actually quite surprised to learn that it wasn't as accepted as I thought it was, or at least as it was within my family. So fast forward 50 years to the spring of 2020, and my husband and I, who live in a very rural area about 20 miles south of the place where my mother spotted the black cat whenever she was young, my husband noticed that the animals had started acting strangely. The deer were skittish, and we were seeing animals that I didn't even know existed around here. Like gray fox were darting out from everywhere and beavers were crossing the road and the deer were acting strangely. And my husband pointed it out for a couple of months that the animals were acting skittish. So one morning he got up to go to work and it was before daylight and he had just pulled out of our driveway, and as he backed out, the car's headlights shown into the field behind our house and he saw the back end of what he at the time thought was a calf that had gotten loose Walking into the high grass next to the highway. And as he was getting ready to put the car into drive, he realized that the tail on what he thought was the calf was definitely a cat's tail. And as he looked at it longer, he realized that it was an alien big cat. I think that's what you call them. So he got quite a shock out of that. He had to turn around immediately and come back and tell me what he saw. I love the podcast. Thanks and keep doing what you're doing.

[B]

Thank you, Angie. There it is again, Western Tennessee. That location is certainly now on my radar. And typically when one witnesses one of these things, it requires them to be out in the wilderness somewhere or possibly on a lonely stretch of road. It's not all that often that these things come to your house and put themselves in your proximity. I bet many of you will be thinking of this experience the next time you catch yourself staring out a darkened window. Those yellow eyes cutting through the blackness. Great stories, Angie. Not one, but two incredible sightings. Thank you again for sharing. Now, folks, before we continue, it's the gift buying season, and if you're scrambling for a gift for your loved ones, why not explore our merch store? Pick up a piece of Monsters Among Us merchandise for that weirdo in your life? Visit monsters among us podcast.com and click the shop tab. We're pretty cheap, we ship fast thanks to my mom, and we have something there for everyone. Not to mention that all the proceeds go right back into the show. Not some big corporation. Again, that's monsters among us podcast.com and click that shop tab. Now to complete the Tennessee ABC hat trick, please welcome in and of the Volunteer State.

[A]

Hi, this is N. I'm currently in Southern California, but this story is actually from Middle Tennessee. I just wanted to throw out the big cat story in my family. I never saw it, but when I think my brother was in Florida first grade, we moved to very rural Tennessee from a suburb of Louisville, Kentucky. And he had mentioned a couple times to my dad that he had seen this big cat. I want to say he said it was black, but I can't say that was 100% certainty. But he was seeing this big cat. And you know, my dad was like, well, yeah, you know, there are bobcats cats out here, so be careful, you know, you don't want to get too close. And my brother was like, no, no, it's not a bobcat. My dad was like, you know, how big is it? And my brother was like, it's a lion. It's Like a lion size that doesn't have a mane. And so, you know, the first couple times, just chalk it up to, you know, like a seven year old's imagination being outside in the country, of course your imagination is going to run wild. And my brother was an extremely imaginative little kid and he kept bringing it up. So after a while, my dad finally, just out of fear for our safety, we lived on like 30 acres, brought it up to one of our neighbors. He didn't live on his land, but he owns the land right next to ours. And he's like, yeah, you know, my son keeps saying, you know, he's seen this big chat, you know, kids, imaginations, right? My neighbor was just like, oh no, I've seen him, I've seen it. And at that point, you know, it's like, what? And our neighbor actually told my dad that he had heard and this is actually confirmed now by the Tennessee Wildlife and Research association or whatever, the twra, that Florida panthers are migrating up towards Tennessee and more of the Southeast, just because global warming is making it, you know, a good habitat as well as Florida's getting really populated and so they're being driven out of their own territory essentially. And a lot of Tennessee is still very rural, so they have been concerned, confirmed that here and there. I think They've got like 10 verified sightings or something. I just read an article from this year about it. But I'm wondering if maybe sometimes these big black cats that people are seeing are maybe these mountain lions or like Florida panthers that are, you know, roaming long distance after being displaced from their home or something. Maybe they're in a shadow, maybe they're dirty, maybe they're evolving and we don't know. So that's just my thought and I love the show. Have a good day. Bye.

[B]

Thank you, Ann. I guess we can add Middle Tennessee to that map as well. And you have to love the confirmation. Similar to my story growing up. I know you've all heard it 100 times, so I won't rehash it, but When I was 10, I too saw an ABC and when I told my dad about it, he admitted to seeing the exact same thing only a week or two prior. Now, why he took so long to mention it, I guess I'll have to ask him. And as for Florida panthers making their way as far north, north as Tennessee, I suppose that's possible. I've heard of them venturing into southern Alabama and Georgia. So I guess what's one more state now? Folks, I know these things sound scary and sure they can be, but mostly for our pets. Attacks on humans from mountain lions or cougars are very rare. According to that same Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency website, In the 100 years between 1890-1990 in the US and Canada, only 10 humans died due to cougar attack. And I think we have to assume that attacks from ABCs are even fewer since we don't really have any record of such attacks occurring. So Cougar abc, be respectful and nobody will get hurt.

[C]

The team gave it away half a dozen times. Wisdom and knowledge are two different Shoe.

[A]

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[C]

Then when we parted ways.

[B]

All right gang. Here with another phantom feline story is Pete from the state of Alabama.

[C]

Eric, what's up? This is Pete, Southeast Alabama. I have a very, at least in my mind, credible black cat story that I wanted to share with you guys. Back in the fall of 2020 I was working a part time job reading water meters for Henry county in Alabama, more specifically the city of Abbeville. I had gotten up this one particular morning to go read the meters. I always kind of prepare myself. It was a once a month situation so I would go to bed early the night before and usually get started right around the crack of dawn. At least get my current head that way. I live about 40 minutes from where I would do the work. So this particular morning it was a brisk fall morning, very clear out. I want to say it was maybe 7:15 ish in the morning, so sun had already come up. I had really good visibility. I had turned on the road that would carry me back that way Just outside Eufaula, just crossing into the city limits of Abbeville. So the street that I was traveling down had really large corn. She was Grown up probably 5 or 6ft on both sides of the road. As I'm driving roughly 15 to 20 yards in front of me, I see some movement in the brush on the side of the road. Kind of catch it out the corner of my eye and out I see an animal that I can only describe as a large black cat. Take one leap from off the side of the median of the road, jump into the center line of the road, and take one leap from the center line of the road into the brush on the other side of the street. So basically, the cat was able to. Because I guess we run full speed at the time, able to clear the entire road in one leap. Just so you kind of have an idea why I feel so strongly that this was what it was. I'm an owner of a large conne corso. This dog's about 135 pounds. Whatever this cat was, I would guesstimate, was at minimum size of my dog, a little larger, if I had to say. And when it was outstretched in its full leap, it had to be close from, you know, tail to front feet, roughly 8ft. It had a long tail, very muscular body. I know for certain I saw what I saw. Man, we love the podcast. You are the man. Thank you so much for what you do. Have a good one.

[B]

We appreciate the call, Pete. You know, just yesterday I saw one of the local online groups that a mountain lion was struck and killed by a vehicle on California 18, the main road out of our mountains. And that tragedy happens all too often out here. These animals have a huge range, and to patrol it, it requires them to cross many roads and busy freeways. That's why we need to support those wildlife crossings, not just for the cat's sake, but for ours as well. Hitting a £200 cat at 80 miles an hour is deadly for everyone involved. And I guess that goes double for ABCs as well. Thanks again, Pete, for calling in. Now, as I just mentioned, I too have had an experience with these mysterious alien big cats. And my experience happened in the same state that this next entry does. Nicole from Ohio, welcome to the program.

[C]

Hello, this is Nicole. I'm calling in from Ohio.

[A]

And this story took place actually in Columbus.

[C]

My friend and I, we were listening.

[A]

To the show on a trip somewhere.

[C]

We were listening to an episode, and they were talking about big cats or black cats that people had seen. And she reminded me of Something that she saw when we were teenagers.

[A]

So this took place in the far.

[C]

South end of Columbus.

[A]

To me, that means south of 104.

[C]

My best friend grew up in a neighborhood down there off Parsons Avenue, down near Great Southern Shopping Center. Now, this was In, I believe, 1986. I was at her house one day, and we were sitting on the front.

[A]

Porch, and she said, I got to.

[C]

Tell you about something I saw a couple days ago. And she pointed at a spot, and it's maybe 80, 100ft away from us.

[A]

And she said, yeah, right over there.

[C]

She said, in between that person's house and mine, I saw this big black panther walk from between the houses.

[A]

It turned. It looked at me, knowing that I was watching it.

[C]

And then it just did what normal cats do, big or small, and it just slunk right across the street and went between the other two houses, and it was gone. And I said, are you sure it wasn't just a big, huge black cat, you know? And she said, yeah, because her parents and I remember they had had these two large. I believe they're called Norwegian forest cats or something to that effect when we were younger kids. And they are very, very huge house cats, legal to own.

[A]

And she's like, they were much bigger than those two. And I said, all right.

[C]

And I believe her in the sense, Because, I mean, well, one, she's my.

[A]

Best friend, and two, I've been in.

[C]

People'S houses there in that neighborhood, and there were people there that had some pretty freaking exact exotic animals. And she said, it was definitely a panther.

[A]

It was not a kitty cat.

[C]

It wasn't a house cat. It was a panther. It was big. She said you could kind of see spots underneath the darkness, the blackness of the fur, which I believe it's a black jaguar, but I'm not for certain on that. But, yeah, those people in that neighborhood, there were some pretty exotic animals, pets I've seen that those people had back when we were younger. So I completely believe that it was a big black panther. They'd gotten out of somebody else's house and never saw it in the news. So I'm assuming it made it back home and didn't attack anybody's outside pet.

[A]

So there's your big true black cat story from the 1980s.

[C]

Alvin to Columbus. Thanks a lot. Bye. Bye.

[B]

Thank you, Nicole. Now, not to harp on my experience, but it occurred within two or three years of Nicole's, and it also took place only about 70 miles away. And I should add that the description of the animal is almost identical Though I did not see spots under its coat, the creature I saw was too fast and too far away. But I know what she's talking about. If you can get one of these melanistic jaguars or leopards into the sunlight, you'll see their spots. Despite their black coat, the spots are just a little bit darker than the rest of the fur. I threw a photograph up in the show notes as an example. And a detail like that is very telling to me. It just doesn't seem like a detail someone would make up. I could be wrong. Now, folks, believe it or not, I have one more buckeye big cat to share with you. So from the state of Ohio, please welcome Gray to the program.

[A]

Hi, Derek. My name is Gray and I am from east central Ohio. And I wanted to tell you a story about what happened to me, me this summer. Me and my brother saw one of those alien black cats that no one can really explain. So we had been going down to check out my family's property. We rent a. I don't know, call it a campsite, probably next to a little river done by a creek. And so we had been going down to check it out, see if it had flooded in the rains that we had just had, or if it had had, like, needed to be mowed or anything. And so we were down there in the evening, I would say, and we had just finished up what we were doing there, and we were on our way back. Now, this is a little, tiny, less than a lane, really dirt road, middle of nowhere. Nearest house is probably over a mile away. A little bit of context. We live in a village, technically, and, like, population is about 400. So it's really, really secluded out there. And we are driving. Sun's not setting yet, but it's on its way. And we are just, you know, 30 miles an hour, just carefully picking our way along this really awful little gravel road. And all of a sudden, faster than fast. I'm telling you, this thing was the fastest thing we've ever seen. This massive black shape just like darts across the road and up the hill. And the hill on the other side of the road was dense brush, like very thick forest. It's the middle of the summer, so it's briars and it's undergrowth and everything. Nothing could have possibly gotten up that hill fast enough for us to not be able to see it whenever we tried to follow it with our eyes across the road. But as soon as it hit the other side of the road, bam, this thing is gone. So we didn't see it coming and we didn't see it leaving. It just all of a sudden went across the road and was completely gone. Now, my family are generational, like Appalachian granny magic kind of folks, so my brother and I immediately are like, what kind of apparition was this? And we look at each other and we're like, was that a cat? But the size of a deer? I'm telling you, it was massive. Just completely pitch black. Long black tail and moving so fast you couldn't even hardly see what it was. But we both said independently that that was a huge cat that was gone the second it crossed the road. So like I said, my family's very into the spiritual and the paranormal and things. So I've got lots of other things that I can call and tell you, but I had just listened to an episode where several alien black cat stories were shared, so I thought I might add mine. Have a great day.

[B]

Thank you, Gray. Now, I don't know exactly where Gray's experience occurred, but I bet that location is even closer than that of Nicole's. Yet another hot spot, perhaps. And according to the Ohio Division of Wildlife, mountain lions were eradicated from the state by 1855. So any big cat in the Buckeye State would technically be alien. Now, folks, when I come back, not only do we have many more sightings, but we also have a video as well. So don't move a muscle. We'll be right back. But he's process oriented. He is an incredible player.

[A]

This is the story of the 1. As a custodial supervisor at a high school, he knows that during cold and flu season, germs spread fast. It's why he partners with Grainger to stay fully stocked on the products and supplies he needs, from tissues to disinfectants to floor scrubbers, all so that he can help students, staff and teachers stay healthy and focused. Call 1-800-GRAINGER Click grainger.com or just stop by Grainger for the ones who get it done.

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[C]

Let me just correct one thing you.

[B]

Said now as I just teased. Our next experiencer, broad receipts. Please welcome Lane from South Carolina.

[C]

Hi, this is Lane from South Carolina. I called about seeing two alien big cats with my mother driving down the road. Well, I'm calling back because I was talking with some co workers about seeing these cats because I was wearing a Bigfoot jacket. And they asked me about it and they asked if I've ever seen anything. Well, when I mentioned the two big cats I saw, one of my co workers said he's seen them too. And he's like, my dad even has a video of it. And I was like, really? And he's like, yeah, I'll show you. And he showed me. And he told me his dad was sitting on the back porch. He noticed a something moving across the lake. It was right off of Lake Murray, so he had to zoom in a little bit. And because of that, the video is a little grainy, but I'm definitely going to send that over to you. Before seeing these big cats, I didn't even know that people had seen them in South Carolina. And then when I saw them, all of a sudden people were like, yeah, no, they exist here. It baffles me because from the research I've done, DNR had to put out a statement that said there are no big cats. The only big cats in South Carolina are bobcats. It's just like DNR says, we don't have them, but quite a few people have seen them here. It's very weird. Well, I hope you can use this. Thank you so much. Have a wonderful day.

[B]

Thank you, Lane. Now, it's worth noting that this sighting is only about 140 miles away from where Donald made his discovery. A story that played earlier in the program. And Lane actually came through and sent in the video. And it does indeed seem to show a large black animal walking along a wooded lakeshore. Now, at first I thought it looked like a bobcat to me, but if you freeze frame at certain moments, you can see the full length tail. And bobcats famously have a bobtail, hence the name bobcat. But the tail is one of the first clues that this might not be an abc. Typically, these big cats walk with a J shaped curl at the tip of their tail. And I'm not seeing that here in this video, the tail on the creature in question not only seems to be skinnier, but it seems to be straight as well. And also, toward the end of the video, the cat approaches a downed tree. Now, comparing the sizes and assuming that a big cat is about 2 1/2ft tall, at the shoulder that would make the trunk of that fallen tree about five to six feet across. And that just doesn't jive with everything else I see in the video, perspective wise. So all clues here are telling me that this was likely a very large house cat. But you know, I was wrong once a long time ago, so it could happen again. Go take a look at the video for yourself and tell me what you think we're looking at. Big cat or not, you did the right thing by sharing it with us. Lane. Thank you again for making the call. And folks, that brings us to tonight's final story. Calling in from the road, please welcome Anonymous to the show.

[C]

Hey Derek, because of your show, I recently discovered that black panthers are cryptids. Didn't know this and here's the reason why. From 1994 to 2008, my parents and I lived on 10 acres in East Texas. And you know, it's a very wilderness area and we lived on a particular hunting land because my dad and I were avid hunters and we encountered a black panther family essentially so frequently that somewhere packed away is actually a picture of me with a panther cub. And I remember trying to debunk what I saw the very first time I encountered it because my high school, their mascot was a black panther. So I figured, you know, oh, it's just one of the teenagers dressed up in the mascot outfit playing prank on us. But like I said, we're avid hunters. And my dad and I wound up shooting a deer across the creek bed from where we were at. We climbed down in there, it was like about, I want to say, since the sun was going down, it was probably around 8:30 at night at that time. And we climbed down the creek bed, start climbing up the other side. And my dad told me non verbally to stop where I was at because there was a something moving. And we heard this really low grumble, kind of like a growl, but like a predatory stalking sound. And as we peek over the top of the ridge, all we see is this huge pure black cat. It's stalking our kills. And that, you know, my very first encounter and I'm like, okay, well you know, that's just not a thing. There's no way that any cat gets vaccinated. But when my dad caught his rifle, it turned to him and just clear as day, you could see the whiskers. And like the reflective iris of this cat was kind of like a glowing greenish yellow and it had lids for pupils. So obviously an animal, obviously cat in nature. And you know, we're Just staring this thing down, like. And it's staring up, down. We're just trying to figure it all out. So my dad, you know, tells me to go back to the other side of the creek bed. We go back up to the truck, and we start discussing this cat. And a couple of our neighbors said, you know, maybe it was a bobcat. Well, I know what a bobcat looks like. We killed one trying to protect ourselves in the hills of Arizona. So a couple years later, we're hunting again. And I'm laying in a brush trying to create kind of a homemade ghillie suit. And my dad is sitting in a tree stand, and he, like, nature calls to me and tells me, don't move. And I'm like, okay, why? You know, And I slowly roll over. Directly above me, laying on a branch is the same panther. And it, like, looked down at me, and I could see it's. I want to say fangs, but that seems kind of weird. They were large cat teeth with very, very pronounced fangs in the front. And it just kind of gave off. Like a cat hisses at you when it's letting you know that, hey, you're messing up. And then kind of, like, arched up a little bit. And my dad fired a warning shot. My dad shot the branch underneath this thing, and it jumped and just cleaned out of sight in no time flat. Like, I didn't even have a chance to react to it. So going on to why I just thought this was a normal critter is because the following three summers in a row, we had come across kind of like a net nesting area, so to speak. It was laid flat. We thought it was like a deer nesting until we came up, you know, preparing for the hunting season, and heard the low grumble of, like, the predatory. Hey, you're getting too close. Hound again. And we paused. And staring at us from the edge of this nesting area was those bright, yellowish green eyes glaring at us. So my dad and I had this plan to kind of like a peace offering with this large cat. We went and got very thick cut steaks from our local butcher, and we brought it out to the nesting area. You know, like I said, three summers in a row, we did this. Just kind of peace offerings to say, hey, we're gonna go hunting, but here's our peace offering. We won't mess with you if you don't mess with us. And took these stakes out, like, tossed it into the nesting area. And about August that year, this would have been 2007. I want to say it was weird. We threw out the stakes and three cubs, like the biggest kittens I've ever seen in my life just come trotting out towards us and start gnawing on these raw steaks that we had just thrown out. And the essentially, I'm assuming mother just comes out and kind of like stays back, but lets them eat while we stay on the other side of the, this nesting area. And I was always taught when it comes to unknown animals that like, you're supposed to present yourself without harm, without attempt to harm. So I placed my hands flat on the ground and I got down on my knees in front of them and like laid out my hands for them to sniff, I guess. And one of the cubs come over and sniffs me, licks his paw and then like licks my hand and I got to pet it. And my dad, you know, early 2000 era, uses a wind up camera and snaps a picture of me and mama panther over there. Was not happening. Instantly, like roared at us and pretty sure I peed myself. But we instantly backed away. Cost another space that we had. And the following year or so later we moved to a larger property on the other side of town. And I hadn't seen it again, but our neighbor called us and was like, hey man, what's up with that huge ass cat? So, yeah, that's why I thought cancers were just normal. Thanks man. I appreciate the podcast and I hope things continue really well for you.

[B]

Thank you, caller. Now, you know, oddly enough, in your scenario, I think this was very normal because I think you saw a jaguar. The jaguar's range is now greatly diminished, but it once roamed as far north as southern Colorado. And from time to time, these massive, magnificent big cats cross over into the US Typically seen in Southern Arizona, most recently in August of 2025. There's a link in the show notes. And you know, South Texas is also a place that sometimes gets a visit from these ferocious felines. But it has been a while. 1948. In fact, on April 25th of that year, the Corpus Christi Collar Times ran an article titled Tough Customer. 121 pound Jaguar killed on farm near Kingsville. The article author boasted, south Texas has everything, even jaguars. But there is one less jaguar in this area now after Richard Cuevas, a worker on the Bob Ferguson dairy farm near Kingsville, killed one of the big cats. Now, I did link to a photo of these sportsmen in the show notes along with their killer. If you can't tell, I'm not a big proponent of that kind of activity. The poor animal covered hundreds of miles of who knows what just to get shot by some dude 50 yards away. So I really do appreciate your approach here, caller, not shooting it and giving it an offering. Though I do want to mention that that you're one lucky guy. The last thing you want to do with a big cat like that is bend down in front of it or feed it or approach its den or touch its cubs. Basically, everything you did that day was wrong. But I guess you did something right because you're still here to tell the tale. Now, folks, you might look at a jaguar and wonder, what's the connection here? Jaguars aren't black. They're yellow with black spots. Well, unlike their cousins, the mountain lions, they actually are sometimes black. According to the world Wildlife Fund, 11% of these big cats are born melanistic or black, making the odds of seeing one still rare, but not impossible. So what I'm saying here, caller, is that I'm almost certain that you had a jaguar living on your property. And if that's true, I bet there are a lot of wildlife officials down in Texas. I would really appreciate that info, especially if there's a possibility that there are three of her grown offspring still somewhere in the Lone Star State. And finally, caller, if you can find that photo of you with the cub, of course, send that baby in. Maybe someone can confirm for us if it was indeed America's largest big cat or just simply some other mysterious animal. Now, the story is incredible and we thank you again, caller, for taking the time to share that thrilling account. And folks, that's going to do it for this one. Another alien big cat episode in the back. The Monsters Among Us podcast is written and produced by me, Derek Hayes, copyright Red Grow Media. Additional support is provided by Sarah Carter Hayes, Delaney Bowers and Connor Ryan. All media used in this production is done so under the protection of fair use. Follow us on our social media accounts, give us a like and follow on YouTube, join our Discord server and leave us a rate and review, wherever that sort of thing is possible. Don't forget, you can catch the show every Saturday evening at 10pm Eastern on the ONX Digital Network. Just visit onxnetwork.com to tune in now. Tonight's score was provided by I. Cthulhu, Apocalypse Code at EG Music and Carl Casey at White Bat Audio. Now go watch our movie. Borregotriangle.com will give you all the info and join us in the beyond. Go to monsters among us podcast.com and click the Patreon tab. Now, folks, I'll catch you all back here on Thursday with a little something to make your turkey day. Just eat a little bit, don't darker, but until then, you keep it spooky. Have yourselves a good night.

[A]

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