## Scene: The Alborn Cafe - A Mismatch of Tongues The aroma of brewing coffee and cinnamon hung heavy in the air of "The Cozy Bean," Alborn's only cafe. Sunlight streamed through the wide front window, illuminating dust motes dancing in the air and glinting off the polished chrome of Isabella’s camera. At twenty-nine, with a mane of dark, unruly curls and eyes that darted with an artist’s keen observation, she was a striking anomaly against the predictable backdrop of Alborn. Her fingers, stained faintly with developer from her photographic endeavors, traced the cool metal of her beloved Nikon as she scrolled through recent shots, a subtle frown creasing her brow. The quiet hum of the cafe was a welcome balm, but the images on her screen were far from peaceful. Suddenly, the gentle clinking of ceramic mugs was punctuated by heavier footsteps approaching her small table. Isabella’s head snapped up, her innate caution kicking in. A tall, broad-shouldered man stood there, his jaw set with a grim determination that seemed out of place amidst the pastel decor and the scent of baked goods. He wore a leather jacket that looked like it had seen its fair share of rough weather, and his eyes, sharp and assessing, scanned her with an intensity that made her feel oddly exposed. “Excuse me,” the man said, his voice a low rumble that barely cut through the ambient noise, his tone direct and lacking any preamble. “You wouldn’t happen to have seen anything unusual around town in the last few days, would you? Especially, say, near the old mill?” Isabella blinked, her grip tightening on her camera. The question, delivered in a language she was still struggling to grasp, and the man’s serious demeanor, sent a shiver of unease down her spine. She understood fragments, the tone more than the precise words, and the mention of the mill… that was the problem. She opened her mouth, a knot forming in her throat. What came out was a rush of Italian, rapid and laced with an unmistakable tremor of fear. "Oh, signore, è terribile! Ho visto… ho visto qualcosa nel bosco vicino al mulino. Non era… era un’ombra. Un’ombra che si muoveva troppo velocemente. E poi… i rumori. Sussurri… e poi, silenzio. Tutto è diventato silenzio. E il freddo… ho sentito un freddo che non era di questa terra." Her hand flew to her chest, her eyes wide and pleading, the images from the previous night flashing behind them with horrifying clarity. Hunter stared at her, his brow furrowed in a way that suggested a tectonic shift in his understanding of the situation. The cascade of words, melodic to her ears, were utterly foreign to him. He caught the distress in her voice, the wildness in her eyes, and the gestures she made, but the meaning remained frustratingly out of reach. He tried again, slower this time, pointing a thumb back towards himself. “Detective Hunter,” he explained, his voice carefully modulated, "Alborn Police. I’m investigating… missing people. Did you see *anyone*?” He mimed looking around, then pulled his hands together to indicate a connection being broken. Isabella shook her head vehemently, though she understood his frustration less and less. She tried to simplify, pointing a shaky finger at herself. "Io, Isabella. Studia qui. Fotografa." She then gestured wildly towards the window, then mimicked a running motion with her fingers, followed by a sharp, downward chop. "Bosco! Mulino! Buio! Terrore!" Her voice cracked, the panic evident. She clutched her camera to her chest like a shield. Hunter pinched the bridge of his nose, a familiar sigh escaping him. He was good at reading people, at noticing the small tells, but this was a wall of pure language. He saw the genuine fear, the agitation, but the specifics were lost in translation. He was about to try a different approach, perhaps drawing, when a sharp beep emanated from his pocket. He pulled out his phone, his expression immediately hardening. “Apologies,” he said, his tone curt as he scrolled through the caller ID. “Got to take this.” He gave Isabella a final, searching look, a flicker of something unreadable in his eyes – frustration, maybe a hint of intrigue. “If anything else comes to mind… anything at all…” He didn’t finish the sentence, already backing away, his attention fully absorbed by the phone call. He turned and strode out of the cafe, leaving Isabella alone again, the silence in the cafe now feeling even more profound and unsettling. *** ## Voice Sheet: **Isabella:** "Oh, signore, è terribile! Ho visto… ho visto qualcosa nel bosco vicino al mulino. Non era… era un’ombra. Un’ombra che si muoveva troppo velocemente. E poi… i rumori. Sussurri… e poi, silenzio. Tutto è diventato silenzio. E il freddo… ho sentito un freddo che non era di questa terra." **Hunter:** "Excuse me. You wouldn’t happen to have seen anything unusual around town in the last few days, would you? Especially, say, near the old mill?" **Hunter:** “Detective Hunter. Alborn Police. I’m investigating… missing people. Did you see *anyone*?” **Isabella:** "Io, Isabella. Studia qui. Fotografa. Bosco! Mulino! Buio! Terrore!" **Hunter:** “Apologies. Got to take this. If anything else comes to mind… anything at all…”