## Scene: The Alborn Apple Cafe The aroma of cinnamon and roasted apples hung heavy in the air of the Alborn Apple Cafe, a cozy nook nestled just off the town square. Sunlight streamed through the large front window, illuminating dust motes dancing around Selvi as she sat at a small, checkered tablecloth-covered table. Her brow was furrowed in concentration, her fingers gently tracing the contours of her well-loved DSLR camera. She was lost in the world of ISO and aperture, a stark contrast to the unsettling quiet that had descended upon Alborn. The bell above the door chimed, announcing a new arrival. Selvi glanced up, her large, expressive eyes blinking against the sudden shift in light. A man, tall and broad-shouldered, with weary lines etched around his eyes, stood silhouetted against the bright afternoon. He scanned the cafe, his gaze eventually landing on her. He approached her table with a focused, almost grim determination. He stopped beside her chair, his posture exuding a quiet authority. "Excuse me," he began, his voice a low rumble. Despite the friendly setting, there was an unmistakable edge of command in his tone. "I'm Detective Hunter. I'm looking into a few things around town, and I heard you might have seen something yesterday, near the old mill?" Selvi’s head snapped up, her attention immediately pulled from her camera. Her expression flickered from contemplative to one of deep, unsettling distress. She opened her mouth to speak, and a torrent of melodic Hindi flowed out. Her words were rapid, tinged with a palpable fear, her hands fluttering as if trying to physically grasp the terrifying images replaying in her mind. She spoke of shadows, of a chilling silence, of an emptiness where there should have been life. Her eyes were wide, reflecting a profound unease that resonated far beyond the language barrier. Hunter listened, or rather, he *watched*. His brow furrowed, his usual no-nonsense demeanor giving way to a visible, and frustrating, confusion. He nodded slowly, trying to catch any nuance, any gesture that might offer a clue, but the rapid-fire Hindi was a complete wall. He offered a hesitant smile, a gesture of attempted reassurance that felt misplaced. "Ma'am," he said, his voice gentle but firm, "I… I don't understand Hindi. Could you… could you try English?" Selvi faltered, a flush creeping up her neck. She realized her mistake, her panic momentarily overriding her awareness of the language gap. She gestured helplessly at her camera, then pointed vaguely towards the window, trying to convey that she had been… *capturing* something. Her face crumpled slightly as she struggled to articulate her fragmented thoughts in broken, halting English, interspersed with more Hindi. “The… the… *chhaya*… it was very… *bhayavah*.” She searched for the English word, her hand flying to her chest. "Scary. Very scary. And then… gone." She made a sweeping gesture with her hand, indicating emptiness. Hunter watched her, his professional instinct kicking in despite the communication breakdown. He recognized the genuine fear in her eyes, the tremor in her voice. He pulled out a small notebook and pen. "Okay, okay, take a breath," he said, his voice calming. He pointed to himself. "Hunter. Police. *Detective*." He then pointed to her. "You?" Selvi blinked, then slowly pointed to herself. "*Selvi*." She repeated it, trying to enunciate clearly. She then pointed to her camera, then mimed taking a picture. "Photography. Alborn… beautiful." Then her face clouded over again. "But… yesterday… not beautiful. Dark." She shivered, despite the warmth of the cafe. She tried to describe what she saw, using gestures and single, isolated English words. She pointed to the empty space beside her, then made a motion of something being pulled away. "*Taken*," she whispered, her voice barely audible. "*No sound*." Hunter scribbled notes, piecing together fragments. "Taken? Something was taken? Or someone?" He looked at her, his gaze intent. "You saw someone… taken? Near the mill?" Selvi nodded vigorously, her eyes wide with a fresh wave of panic. She started speaking again, her Hindi a rush of fragmented sentences laden with fear and confusion. She talked about a fleeting glimpse of movement, a soundless void, and the unnerving stillness that followed. She pointed to her open palm and mimed something slipping through her fingers. "It… it just… *gayab*." Suddenly, Hunter's phone buzzed loudly on the table, startling them both. He glanced at the caller ID, his expression immediately darkening. He sighed, a sound heavy with resignation. "Duty calls," he said, snapping his notebook shut. He stood up, his gaze lingering on Selvi for another moment, a flicker of concern in his eyes. "I… I'll have to come back. We'll figure this out, Selvi. I promise." He gave her a curt nod and turned, heading towards the cafe door with the same purposeful stride he had entered with, leaving Selvi alone once more, the silence of her unshared experience amplifying the unsettling mystery. --- ## Voice Sheet: **Selvi:** "..." **Hunter:** "Excuse me. I'm Detective Hunter. I'm looking into a few things around town, and I heard you might have seen something yesterday, near the old mill?" **Selvi:** "... *Kaise bataun? Woh… woh jo maine dekha… anjaan tha. Ek ajeeb si khamoshi. Jaise saara shahar tham gaya ho. Woh… woh sab kuch… nishaan hi nahi the. Bas ek khali jagah.*" **Hunter:** "Ma'am, I… I don't understand Hindi. Could you… could you try English?" **Selvi:** "Selvi. Photography. Alborn… beautiful. But… yesterday… not beautiful. Dark. Taken. No sound." **Hunter:** "Taken? Something was taken? Or someone? You saw someone… taken? Near the mill?" **Selvi:** "Haan! *Dekha! Woh… woh chala gaya. Phoolon ke beech se. Bina awaaz ke. Jaise koi sapna tut gaya ho.*" **Hunter:** "Duty calls. I'll have to come back. We'll figure this out, Selvi. I promise."