Run: 2026-02-24-01KJ8V1ERG68FFQ6EJBHGCG47T

# Scene: The Corner Cafe — Alborn, MN --- Hunter: "Excuse me, ma'am? Mind if I sit down for a second?" Isabella: *(looks up from her camera, startled)* "Oh— mi scusi, non... non parlavo con nessuno." Hunter: "I'm Detective Hunter Brandt, with the county sheriff's office. I'm talking to folks around town about what happened last Tuesday night. Over at the fairgrounds? You, uh... you were there, weren't you? I think I saw you — with the camera." Isabella: *(clutching the camera tighter, her voice unsteady)* "La notte di martedì? Sì... sì, ero lì. Ho visto qualcosa di terribile. C'era un uomo — vicino al fienile, trascinava qualcosa di pesante. Io... ho avuto così tanta paura. Sono scappata. Non sapevo cosa fare." Hunter: *(long pause)* "I'm... I'm sorry, I didn't catch any of that. Do you speak English?" Isabella: *(shaking her head slowly)* "Inglese? No... no, mi dispiace. Solo italiano." Hunter: "Italian. Okay. That's... okay." *(pulls out a small notepad, taps his pen on it awkwardly)* "Right. Uh — the fairgrounds. Tuesday." *(points at her camera, then mimes taking a photo)* "Pictures? Did you take pictures?" Isabella: *(understanding the gesture, nodding rapidly)* "Sì! Sì, le foto! Ho scattato delle foto quella sera." *(turns on the camera and scrolls through images with trembling hands)* "Guardi — guardi qui. Quest'uomo. Non so chi sia, ma era lì. Vicino alla porta del fienile. E poi... la ragazza non c'era più." Hunter: *(leaning forward, squinting at the small screen)* "Hold on — is that the old barn? And that figure there, by the door..." Isabella: "Lo vede? Lo vede anche lei! Quell'uomo stava facendo qualcosa. Io l'ho visto muoversi nell'ombra. Quando mi ha notata, ho corso via. Mi tremavano le mani... come adesso." *(holds up her shaking hand)* Hunter: "You're scared. I can see that." *(speaks slowly, gently)* "You're safe now, alright? Safe." *(puts a hand flat on the table in a calming gesture)* Isabella: *(takes a breath, nods slightly)* "Sicura... sì. Grazie. Lei è gentile." Hunter: "Can I — can I see more of those photos? More?" *(holds up fingers and points at the camera again)* Isabella: *(scrolling further)* "Ecco, ce ne sono altre. Questa è prima che succedesse tutto — la festa, le luci, la gente che rideva. E poi... questa. Vedete? L'ombra dietro il fienile. E qui — questa macchina. Non era del posto. Non l'avevo mai vista." Hunter: *(writing in his notepad)* "Dark vehicle... looks like a truck, maybe. No plates visible. And that timestamp says 9:47 PM." *(to Isabella)* "This is good. This is really good. I just wish I knew what you were telling me." Isabella: *(looking at him earnestly)* "Vorrei tanto poterle spiegare. C'è qualcosa di molto sbagliato in questo posto. Le persone scompaiono e nessuno ne parla. Ho paura anche per me stessa." Hunter: *(sighs, rubbing the back of his neck)* "I'm going to find someone who can translate. I need to know what you saw. Can you stay in town? Stay?" *(points down at the table, then at the ground)* Isabella: "Restare? Sì... sì, resto qui. Non vado da nessuna parte. Per adesso, almeno." Hunter: "Good. I think you understand more than you let on." *(almost smiles)* Isabella: *(a faint, nervous smile)* "Capisco i gesti. E capisco gli occhi. Lei è preoccupato quanto me." *(Hunter's phone buzzes loudly on the table. He picks it up.)* Hunter: "Brandt." *(listens, his face hardening)* "Where? ...When? I'm on my way. Ten minutes." *(hangs up, stands abruptly)* Isabella: *(alarmed)* "Che succede? È successo qualcosa?" Hunter: *(grabbing his jacket, speaking quickly)* "I have to go. Something's come up." *(points at her, then at the table)* "Stay here. Stay safe. I'll come back — I'll bring a translator." *(holds up his notepad)* "And I'm going to need that camera." Isabella: *(clutching the camera protectively, then slowly nodding)* "La mia macchina fotografica... sì. Va bene. Ma torni presto, per favore. Ho bisogno che qualcuno mi creda." Hunter: *(meeting her eyes for a moment, then nodding once — firm, like a promise)* "I'll be back." *(He pushes through the cafe door and disappears into the gray afternoon. Isabella watches him go, then looks back down at her camera, scrolling slowly to the final photo — the one she didn't show him. Her face goes pale.)* Isabella: *(whispered)* "Dio mio... è lui. È lo stesso uomo che ho visto stamattina. Mi stava guardando." --- *End of scene.*