The aroma of freshly brewed coffee hung heavy in the air at "The Cozy Kettle," Alborn, MN's one and only cafe. Sunlight streamed through the slightly smudged windows, illuminating dust motes dancing in the quiet space. Selvi, a study abroad student whose vibrant Indian attire stood out against the muted Midwestern decor, sat at a corner table. Her focus was entirely on her camera, a well-loved Canon, its lens reflecting the soft light. She was meticulously reviewing a series of landscape shots, her brow furrowed in concentration. The bell above the door chimed, announcing a new arrival. Detective Hunter, his broad shoulders filling the doorway, scanned the room with the quiet intensity of a seasoned marine. His gaze settled on Selvi. He’d seen her around town, a picturesque fixture with her camera, but hadn't had a reason to approach her until now. The whispers about the recent oddities in sleepy Alborn had reached his ears, and he was chasing down every lead, no matter how unconventional. He crossed the worn linoleum floor, his boots making a soft thud. Selvi looked up, her dark eyes widening slightly as he approached. Hunter: "Excuse me, miss? I'm Detective Hunter. I understand you might have been out near the old fairgrounds the other evening." Selvi blinked, her fingers still resting on the cool metal of her camera. She didn't understand the words, but the tone, the authority in his stance, registered. A tremor ran through her as she recalled that evening. Not just a pleasant stroll for photographs. Selvi: "Kya aap... aap kya keh rahe hain? Mai... woh... maine kuch dekha." (What are you... what are you saying? I... that... I saw something.) Her voice, when it came, was a hushed, shaky whisper, laden with a distress that was palpable even without understanding the language. Her eyes, usually bright with curiosity, were now shadowed with a fear that Pradeep had glimpsed earlier in the week and couldn't shake. She clutched her camera tighter, as if it were a shield. Hunter’s brow furrowed. He’d expected a simple confirmation, maybe a vague description. This… this was different. He caught the distress, the panicked undertones, but the actual words were a complete mystery. He tried again, simplifying. Hunter: "Did you see anything unusual? Around the fairgrounds. Two nights ago." Selvi’s eyes widened further, a fresh wave of distress washing over her. She shook her head slowly, then gestured vaguely with her hand, trying to convey the disarray, the strangeness of what she’d witnessed. The shadows, the movement, the unsettling silence that followed. Selvi: "Wahan... wahan sab kuch bahut ajeeb tha. Andhera tha, aur phir woh awaz... woh awaz bilkul bhi insaani nahi thi. Maine phir kabhi lautne ki himmat nahi ki." (There... there everything was very strange. It was dark, and then that sound... that sound was not human at all. I never dared to go back again.) Hunter leaned in, his impatience warring with a growing sense of unease. He understood the fear in her eyes, the way her hands trembled, but the specifics remained locked behind a linguistic barrier. He ran a hand through his short, dark hair, frustration a familiar companion. Hunter: "Look, I don't understand Hindi. You're saying you saw something? Something... not human?" He mimed a growling sound, then a sharp intake of breath, hoping for a visual cue. Selvi flinched at his attempt at a growl, her hand flying to her chest. She shook her head vigorously now, trying her best with gestures. She pointed to the shadows of the trees in her landscape photos, then made a sweeping motion, indicating something large and fast moving. Her eyes were wide with remembered terror, and she whispered more words, rapid and urgent, about the feeling of being watched, of the air growing cold. Selvi: "Bahut bada tha. Chhaya jaisa. Aur phir sab shaant ho gaya. Ekdum shaant. Mujhe laga jaise woh mujhe dekh raha hai. Haath paanv thand pad gaye." (It was very big. Like a shadow. And then everything became silent. Completely silent. I felt as if it was watching me. My hands and feet went cold.) Hunter’s gaze flickered between her distressed face and the abstract gestures. He was getting bits and pieces of her agitation, but the core information was elusive. The mention of "shadow" and "not human" was starting to paint a picture, albeit a very fuzzy one. He watched her, trying to glean something, anything, from her expressions. Just then, his phone buzzed loudly in his pocket, an insistent interruption. He pulled it out, glancing at the caller ID. A grim look settled on his face. Hunter: "I have to go. Another incident. Look, I appreciate your… whatever you're trying to tell me." He gave her a brief, almost apologetic nod. "Maybe we can find someone who can translate." He turned and left the cafe as quickly as he had arrived, leaving Selvi alone with her camera and a knot of unspoken terror. The bell above the door chimed again, a final punctuation mark on their brief, perplexing encounter. --- **Voice Sheet** **Selvi:** "Kya aap... aap kya keh rahe hain? Mai... woh... maine kuch dekha." **Hunter:** "Excuse me, miss? I'm Detective Hunter. I understand you might have been out near the old fairgrounds the other evening." **Selvi:** "Wahan... wahan sab kuch bahut ajeeb tha. Andhera tha, aur phir woh awaz... woh awaz bilkul bhi insaani nahi thi. Maine phir kabhi lautne ki himmat nahi ki." **Hunter:** "Did you see anything unusual? Around the fairgrounds. Two nights ago." **Selvi:** "Bahut bada tha. Chhaya jaisa. Aur phir sab shaant ho gaya. Ekdum shaant. Mujhe laga jaise woh mujhe dekh raha hai. Haath paanv thand pad gaye." **Hunter:** "Look, I don't understand Hindi. You're saying you saw something? Something... not human?" **Hunter:** "I have to go. Another incident. Look, I appreciate your… whatever you're trying to tell me. Maybe we can find someone who can translate."