The aroma of freshly brewed coffee and cinnamon pastries clung to the air in "The Cozy Bean," Alborn's only sit-down cafe. Melanie, a wisp of a woman with a shock of dark hair framing her earnest face, sat by the window, her well-loved camera resting on the small table beside her. She meticulously cleaned the lens with a soft cloth, her brow furrowed in concentration. The vibrant hues of a recent landscape shot were still imprinted on her mind, a stark contrast to the disquiet that had settled over Alborn like a perpetual autumn fog. A shadow fell over her table. Melanie looked up, her bright blue eyes widening slightly. Standing before her was a tall, broad-shouldered man, his expression grim and his uniform a stark reminder of the unease that had gripped their small town. Detective Hunter, she'd heard him called. He cleared his throat, his voice a low rumble that barely disturbed the cafe's gentle murmur. "Excuse me, miss. I'm Detective Hunter. I'm looking into the situation with the disappearances. Did you happen to see anything unusual down by the old mill a few nights ago? Around dusk?" Melanie blinked, her mind struggling to translate the man's words. The mention of the mill, so close to where she'd been trying to capture the setting sun, sent a shiver down her spine. Her hand instinctively tightened around her camera. "Die Mühle?" she whispered, her voice barely audible. "Ja... ja, ich war dort." She hesitated, the memory a jumble of fragmented images and a chilling sense of dread. "Es war... es war schrecklich. Ich habe..." Her voice caught, her eyes clouding with a fear that went deeper than mere observation. "Ich sah, wie sie jemanden wegbrachten. Schnell. In einen dunklen Wagen. Ohne ein Geräusch." She gestured wildly with her hands, trying to convey the unseen horror. "Niemand hat etwas gesagt! Es war wie im Traum... oder eher, ein Albtraum." Tears pricked her eyes. "Ich bin so verwirrt... und verängstigt. Wer tut so etwas?" Hunter stared at her, his brow furrowed in a way that suggested he was missing more than just the details. Her rapid, flowing German was a complete mystery to him. He understood a few words – "mill," "seen," "dark car" – but the emotional weight, the panicked urgency, was lost in translation. He’d expected a witness, not a riddle. "I... I'm sorry, I don't understand," he said, his voice gentler than before, but still laced with a frustrating incomprehension. "Could you… could you try to describe it in English? Slowly perhaps?" Melanie looked at him, her confusion mirroring his. She tried to simplify, to point, to mime. "Dort," she’d say, pointing towards the window and then miming a car driving away. "Dunkel. Schnell. Aber die Person... keine Hilfe. Nichts." Her hands flew to her mouth, her distress evident. Hunter sighed, rubbing the back of his neck. This wasn't going anywhere. Just as he was about to try another approach, a buzz vibrated from his pocket. He pulled out his phone, his expression hardening as he glanced at the screen. "It's my dispatcher," he said, his voice clipped. "Something's come up." He looked apologetically at Melanie. "I'm sorry, I have to go. I'll be back. If you can find anyone who speaks English, or if you remember anything else, please..." He trailed off, feeling utterly defeated. He gave her a curt nod and hurried out, leaving Melanie alone with her camera and the lingering echo of an unanswered question. *** ## Voice Sheet: Melanie & Hunter **Melanie:** "Die Mühle? Ja... ja, ich war dort. Es war... es war schrecklich. Ich habe..." "Ich sah, wie sie jemanden wegbrachten. Schnell. In einen dunklen Wagen. Ohne ein Geräusch. Niemand hat etwas gesagt! Es war wie im Traum... oder eher, ein Albtraum. Ich bin so verwirrt... und verängstigt. Wer tut so etwas?" "Dort. Dunkel. Schnell. Aber die Person... keine Hilfe. Nichts." **Hunter:** "Excuse me, miss. I'm Detective Hunter. I'm looking into the situation with the disappearances. Did you happen to see anything unusual down by the old mill a few nights ago? Around dusk?" "I... I'm sorry, I don't understand. Could you… could you try to describe it in English? Slowly perhaps?" "It's my dispatcher. Something's come up. I'm sorry, I have to go. I'll be back. If you can find anyone who speaks English, or if you remember anything else, please..."