Run: 2026-02-20-01KHY9K5K650YYZD39V0ZNY77A

**Melanie:** (glances up from her camera, fingers brushing the lens, eyes tight) *"Es war so... schrecklich. Ein Mann. Er rief zu ihr, aber sie habe ihn nicht gesehen."* (voice cracks, her thumb rubs the edge of a photo she's printed, of a tree-lined road) **Hunter:** (leaning over her table, arms crossed, not noticing her German at first, sharp) "You here long? Town's been weird lately—people going missing. You see anything? Anyone?" (blinks, tilts his head when she doesn't answer, just stares at him with wide, worried eyes) "Uh... speak English? I musta missed that." **Melanie:** (opens her mouth, starts again in German, louder, hands trembling) *"Ich habe gestern einen Mann gesehen. Er trug eine braune Jacke. Er sagte zu einem Mädchen, dass... dass er sie beißen könnte. Das Mädchen habe peinlich gesagt: 'Ich weiß dich nicht.' Und dann... und dann war er wieder weg."* (tears well, she sets the photo down—shows a man in a brown jacket lingering near the general store) **Hunter:** (blinks, takes a step back, squints at the photo like it's a puzzle) "Look, lady, I get you're upset, but—" (holds up his hands, confused) "*Whoa. Slow down. I don't... speak German. At all. You—you think I'm not gonna understand if you talk like that?"* (rubs the back of his neck, frustrated) "You wanna tell me, you gotta say it like I do, yeah? What's this about a man? A girl?" **Melanie:** (frustrated now, too, slams a hand on the table, points at the photo, German quicker) *"Er ist einer von ihnen! Die verschwunden! Der Mädchen! Sie habe mich nicht gesehen, aber ich habe ihn! Bitte—hilf!"* (her voice breaks, she covers her mouth, shoulders shaking) **Hunter:** (stares at the photo, then at her, softens a little—he's seen fear before, in towns where people close ranks) "Hey, hey, okay—you're scaring me. What's her name? A girl—what's her name?" (pulls out a notepad, scribbles, urgent) "We're looking, okay? Every lead. Just... calm down. Breathe." **(Phone buzzes in his pocket. He jolts, answers quickly, jaw tightening.)** **Hunter:** (into the phone) "Copy that. Alborn Inn. Yeah, I'm on my way." (hangs up, turns to her, regretful) "Gotta go. But—" *(pauses, nods at the photo)* "Keep that. If you remember anything else... you find me. Or the sheriff. Or even that dog next door—he barks at everyone." (smiles faintly, thanks to the dog joke) "Be safe." **Melanie:** (nods, sniffs, hands still shaky as she tucks the photo into her camera bag) *(in German, quieter, grateful)* *"Danke. Bitte... schnell."* **Hunter:** (hesitates, then hesitantly) "Uh. Yeah. I will." (steps back, turns, and walks out, frowning at the notepad—he has no idea what she wrote, just a photo of a jacket) **Notes:** Dialogue balances confusion (Hunter's lack of German, Melanie's limited English) with tension (her distress over the disappearances, his urgency to investigate). Actions in parentheses ground the scene in character emotions.