Run: 2026-02-19-01KHVPG7W1C97E5H2DC4CMDT13

**[SCENE START]** *(Setting: A cozy, rustic corner table at a small street-side cafe in Alborn, MN. A half-eaten slice of the town’s famous festival apple pie sits ignored on a plate. Marie is hunched over the table, her hands wrapped tightly around her DSLR camera. She is pale and shaking, obsessively zooming in on a specific landscape photo on the digital screen. Detective Hunter approaches, standing tall and rigid. He flashes his badge.)* Hunter: "Excuse me, miss? Detective Hunter. I'm making the rounds asking folks about the recent disappearances near the apple festival grounds. Mind if I ask you a few questions?" Marie: *(Startled, she jumps and clutches the camera tightly to her chest, looking up with wide, frightened eyes)* "Oh ! Mon Dieu... Je suis désolée, je ne parle pas anglais. Pas un seul mot." Hunter: *(Halting his professional stride, furrowing his brow in absolute confusion)* "Uh... right. French. Look, I don't speak a lick of that. Not a single phrase. I'm just trying to figure out what happened last night. Did you see anything out by the orchards?" Marie: *(Her voice trembling, tears welling as she desperately tries to explain)* "C'était terrifiant. J'étais juste dans les champs pour photographier les paysages pour mon programme universitaire... et j'ai vu quelqu'un. Un homme, il... il a été attrapé dans l'obscurité !" Hunter: *(Pinching the bridge of his nose, frustrated by the language barrier but noticing her distress)* "Okay, take a breath. You're shaking like a leaf in a windstorm. I have absolutely no idea what you're saying. Did somebody hurt you? Are you safe?" Marie: *(Shaking her head frantically, holding her camera out toward him)* "Non, non, pas moi ! Regardez ça. L'appareil photo. S'il vous plaît, regardez l'écran ! C'est caché dans les arbres." Hunter: *(Squinting as she shoves the camera at his chest, his no-nonsense demeanor keeping him grounded)* "The camera? You want me to look at your pictures? Miss, I'm not really here to look at tourist photos of the apple trees right now. We have a missing person." Marie: *(Tapping the small LCD screen with a trembling finger, her tone desperate)* "Là ! Dans les ombres... juste derrière ce vieux pommier. Regardez bien l'image. J'ai tout vu, j'ai cliqué par accident d'en haut de la colline !" Hunter: *(Leaning in with a heavy sigh, studying the tiny digital screen. His posture suddenly stiffens as his trained eyes catch an anomaly in the pixelated shadows)* "Well, I'll be damned. Is that... a torn jacket near the trunk? You caught the tree line right where the dragging marks started. Good eye, kid." Marie: *(Searching his stoic face for any sign of comprehension, her voice pleading)* "Vous comprenez ? Il faut faire quelque chose ! La chose dans les bois... je crois qu'elle rôde encore autour du festival." Hunter: *(Pointing to the camera, speaking slowly and loudly as if the volume might translate his English)* "I'm going to need to take this. As evidence. Do... you... understand? Police. Business." *(Before Hunter can attempt impromptu sign language, his cell phone rings with a harsh, blaringly loud military cadence. He pulls it from his coat pocket, his expression hardening as he reads the caller ID.)* Hunter: "Hold on. Hunter speaking. *(He pauses, listening intently)* Yeah. You're kidding me. Near the south edge of the festival grounds?" Marie: *(Watching him nervously, wrapping her arms around herself to ward off a chill)* "Qu'est-ce qui se passe ? Ont-ils trouvé quelque chose ? S'il vous plaît, dites-moi !" Hunter: *(Barking into the phone, slipping fully into his marine-honed command voice)* "Secure the perimeter. Keep the civilians back. I'm three minutes out. Do not let anyone near those trees until I get there." *(Hunter hangs up the phone and shoves it back into his pocket, looking sharply back down at Marie.)* Hunter: "Look, I've gotta roll. Emergency. You stay put. Uh... Stay. Here." *(He points firmly at the table, then to her chair)* "I will send a local deputy who speaks French to get your statement and that camera. Do not leave town." Marie: *(Tearfully, shrinking back into her chair as he turns sharply and jogs toward his cruiser)* "Attendez ! S'il vous plaît, monsieur... ne me laissez pas toute seule ici. J'ai tellement peur..." **[SCENE END]**