Run: 2026-02-20-01KHYB5BPGNQFR1VMYF0MYFWFV

**Maria:** (fingers tracing the edge of her camera, eyes wide, voice tight) "¿Por qué no hay nadie? Todos... todos se van. Luis, la muchacha del comedor—ahora, ya no están. Y anoche, vi... un coche. Amarillo. Sin tapa. Se detuvo. Cerca del arboledo. Y luego... (gaze darts to the door, as if the stranger might return) ...y desapareció." **Hunter:** (leaning against the counter, arms crossed, tone sharp but polite—used to dealing with nervous witnesses) "Whoa, hey. Slow down, miss. You okay? Did you say something about a car? We been gettin' reports of disappearances here for a month. Any details could help." **Maria:** (ignoring his question, voice rising with urgency) "Sí! Una persona. Con el coche. No le vi la cara, pero sus ojos—eran... duros. Y lui—" (cuts herself off, biting her lip, tears welling. She fumbles for her camera, points to a blurry landscape shot, then swipes to a sketch she made: a yellow convertible, a figure in a hat, a stick figure labeled "L.") **Hunter:** (squinting, confused) "Uh. You lost, miss? This town's not that big. Maybe I can call you a taxi? Or—" **Maria:** (interrupting, desperate, Spanish rapid but trembling) "No es un出租汽车! Es *importante*. Ellos desaparecen. Todos. Porque... porque lo miran. (waves her hands vaguely at her camera) Yo lo vídeo. Pero no sé como... (trails off, defeated, realizing he can't understand) **Hunter:** (blinking, finally catching on) "Wait—you don't speak English? Oh. Oh, shit. I didn't know. Listen—" (digits through his pocket, pulls out a crumpled business card, writes in messy English: "I’m Hunter, detective. If you remember something, find me at the station. My number’s on here.") *"Please. Write me a note. Draw the car. What did it sound like? Any plates?"* **Maria:** (taking the card, running her thumb over the English words) "Placas... (shake her head) No. Pero el aroma. De cigarrillos. Y... (pauses, voice breaking) ...y su sombra. Era como... oscura. Muy oscura." **Hunter:** (grim, already reaching for his phone—ears twitching) "Cigars. Dark shadow. Got it. Maria—" **Maria:** (suddenly grabbing his arm, urgent in Spanish) "¡Vamos! Tú debes ver. Aún hay huellas. El suelo está tropezado. Y... y el viento trajo su voz. Pero no pude entender." **Hunter:** (praying she's overreacting, but his gut tightens—he *does* trust his gut) "Maria, I gotta go. (checks his phone: "Banner.") Shit. Another missing person. On the east side. But—" **Maria:** (drops his arm, tears spilling, hands shaking as she points to her camera) "Lo tienes. Todo. Por favor. No dejes que se vayan... todos." **Hunter:** (snatching the camera, flipping through the photos—blurry, but there, a sliver of a yellow convertible, a hat, a hint of shadow) "I won't. I promise." (jams his phone in his pocket, grabs his badge) "I'll be back. Wait for me. Stay here. Lock the door behind me if you need to." **Maria:** (muttering in Spanish, too soft for him to catch) "...no quiero esperar." **Hunter:** (already halfway to the door, pauses) "What was that?" **Maria:** (shrugging, wiping her face) "Nothing. Vete." **Hunter:** (nods, heads out, voice over his shoulder) "I will. Soon." *[He exits, leaving Maria staring at her camera, the sketch of the car still on the screen. The cafe bell jingles. She doesn't look up.]*