Run: 2026-02-08-01KGYXPVDV4D16T1SMMYYMXM6R

The morning mist still clung to the brick storefronts of Alborn, but inside the Cozy Cup Cafe, the air was thick with the scent of cinnamon and burnt espresso. Marie sat at a small corner table, her thumb rhythmically clicking the scroll wheel of her Nikon. Her face, usually bright with the curiosity of a traveler, was pale, her eyes fixed on a blurred shape in the corner of her latest photograph. The bell above the door jingled, and Hunter stepped in, the heels of his boots thudding heavily on the hardwood. He looked tired; the disappearances in this town were stacking up, and the trail was as cold as a Minnesota winter. He spotted the woman with the camera—the foreigner he’d seen scouting the woods near the old orchard yesterday. He pulled out a chair and sat down without an invitation. Hunter: "Morning. I’m Detective Hunter. I’m hoping you can help me with something. There was a disturbance out near the north ridge last night. You were out there taking pictures, weren't you? Did you see anyone? A tall man in a tan jacket?" Marie: "Monsieur? Oh, mon Dieu... Je ne savais pas à qui parler. J'ai vu quelque chose... quelque chose d'horrible près des pommiers. Ce n'était pas un homme, c'était comme une ombre qui bougeait trop vite." Hunter: "Whoa, slow down. I don't speak... whatever that is. Was it a man? Did he have a vehicle? I need a description, ma’am. It’s important." Marie: "Je suis désolée, je ne comprends pas. Regardez... regardez l'appareil. J'ai essayé de prendre une photo, mais mes mains tremblaient tellement. Il y a eu un cri, un cri que je n'oublierai jamais. J'ai peur de retourner à mon hôtel." Hunter: "Look, I’m not here to talk about the scenery. I need facts. Did you see the missing girl? Use your hands if you have to. Show me. Big? Small? Which way did they go?" Marie: "C'était là, dans le noir! Pourquoi me regardez-vous comme ça? Je vous dis que quelqu'un a disparu sous mes yeux, dans la brume! Est-ce que vous pouvez m'aider? Je ne me sens pas en sécurité ici." Hunter: "Damn it. This is useless. I can’t tell if you’re scared of me or scared of what you saw. Just... stay put, okay? Don't leave town." Marie: "S'il vous plaît... ne me laissez pas seule. Il y a quelque chose de maléfique dans cette ville. Les pommes... elles étaient couvertes de sang." (Hunter’s phone suddenly buzzed violently against his hip. He snapped it open, his face hardening as he listened to the voice on the other end.) Hunter: "Hunter here. What? Another one? The old mill? Don't touch a thing, I'm five minutes out." Hunter: "Look, lady, I have to go. Duty calls. Just... keep your head down and stay off the trails. We’ll find a translator later." Marie: "Attendez! Monsieur! Ne partez pas! Et ma photo? Qu'est-ce que je dois faire de ce que j'ai vu?"