Maria sat alone at a small table outside the cozy cafe, her camera in hand as she studied the photos she had taken. The vibrant colors of the apples at the festival were still fresh in her mind. Lost in thought, she didn't notice the tall, imposing figure approaching her until he stood right next to her table. "Excuse me," a deep voice said, snapping her out of her reverie. Maria looked up into the stern face of a man with a buzzcut and piercing blue eyes. "Are you new around here? I haven't seen you at the festival before." Maria blinked in confusion, realizing the man was speaking English. Her mind raced as she tried to process the words, but they made no sense to her. "I...I..." she stammered in Spanish. "¿Qué...qué pasó?" What happened? Her voice trembled. The man furrowed his brow, clearly not understanding her. He pulled out a badge. "Hunter. Detective Hunter. I'm investigating a series of disappearances in Alborn." Maria's eyes widened and she shook her head, feeling panic rise in her chest. "Desaparecidos..." she whispered. Disappeared... "¡Es terrible! ¡Es muy malo!" Hunter looked at her, bewildered. "I don't understand you. Can you please speak in English?" Maria's hands were shaking now. She took a deep breath and tried to calm herself, but it was no use. The events of the past days flooded her mind - the screaming in the night, the police sirens, the missing posters plastered everywhere. "No entiendo..." I don't understand... Just then, Hunter's phone rang, breaking the tense silence. "Sorry, I have to take this," he said and stepped aside to answer it. Maria watched him, feeling lost and scared. She had never felt so helpless in her life, unable to communicate with the one person who could help her. Hunter returned a moment later. "I'm sorry, miss, I have to go. I hope you're not in trouble." He turned and quickly strode away, leaving Maria alone with her camera and her fears. She buried her face in her hands, wondering how she was going to get through this on her own in a country where she didn't speak the language. [Scene ends]