Run: 2026-02-24-01KJ8VD47V34WTVT8QC4A4RNTE

# Scene: The Café on Main Street, Alborn, MN --- Hunter: "Excuse me, ma'am? Mind if I sit down for a moment?" Melanie: *glances up from her camera, startled* "Oh — hallo? Kann ich Ihnen helfen?" Hunter: "I'm Detective Hunter Brandt, with the St. Louis County Sheriff's Office. I'm talking to folks around town about some... unusual things that have been happening. You been here long?" Melanie: *stares, brow furrowed, trying to parse his words* "Es tut mir leid, ich... ich verstehe Sie nicht. Ich spreche kein Englisch." Hunter: "I'm sorry, I didn't catch that. You don't... speak English?" Melanie: *shakes her head slowly, gesturing apologetically* "Nein, nein. Kein Englisch. Deutsch. Ich spreche nur Deutsch." Hunter: *rubs the back of his neck* "German. Okay. That's... alright. Uh—" *mimes looking around, then points toward the town square* "The town. Alborn. Have you seen anything... strange?" Melanie: *eyes widen with recognition; she clutches the camera tighter against her chest* "Oh Gott. Sie meinen... das an dem See? Ich war gestern Abend dort. Ich habe Fotos gemacht — Landschaftsfotos, nur für mein Studium — und dann habe ich etwas gesehen. Jemanden. Am Ufer." Hunter: *leans forward* "Okay, you're... clearly reacting to something. I saw your face just change. Can you — do you understand 'lake'? The lake?" Melanie: *nods vigorously* "Ja! Ja, der See! Ich war am See!" *She holds up the camera and begins scrolling through photos with trembling hands.* "Hier, schauen Sie. Schauen Sie sich das an." Hunter: *looks at the camera screen* "That's the shore at Pequot Lake. You were there last night? These timestamps say eight forty-five." Melanie: *points urgently at a dark shape at the edge of one frame* "Da! Sehen Sie das? Da war jemand. Eine Person. Und dann — dann war diese Person einfach weg. Einfach verschwunden. Ich habe gerufen, aber niemand hat geantwortet." Hunter: "That shadow there, at the tree line — is that a person? You're pointing at it like it matters." Melanie: *nods, growing more agitated* "Ja, ja! Eine Person! Und dann—" *she makes a vanishing motion with her hands, opening her fingers wide* "—weg. Verschwunden." Hunter: "Gone? You're saying... gone? As in disappeared?" Melanie: *catches the word and nods emphatically* "Ja! Dis-a-ppeared! Verschwunden!" *She wraps her arms around herself and shudders.* "Ich hatte solche Angst. Ich bin sofort zurück in die Stadt gelaufen. Ich wusste nicht, wen ich ansprechen soll. Ich kenne hier niemanden." Hunter: "You're scared. I can see that. I wish to God I could understand what you're telling me." *pulls out a small notebook, scribbles something, and slides it to her along with a pen* "Can you draw it? What you saw? Anything?" Melanie: *takes the pen hesitantly and begins sketching — the shoreline, the trees, a figure standing near the water, then an arrow pointing to an empty space* "So. Genau so war es. Die Person stand hier—" *taps the figure* "—und dann war hier nichts mehr." *taps the empty space* Hunter: "One second they're there, next second they're not. Just like the others." *mutters under his breath* "That's four now." Melanie: *looks at him searchingly* "Vier? Sie haben 'vier' gesagt — hat das... ist das schon öfter passiert?" Hunter: "I don't know what you just asked me, but the look on your face tells me you're putting pieces together too." Melanie: *clutches her camera again* "Ich habe noch mehr Fotos. Vielleicht ist da noch etwas drauf, das ich übersehen habe. Ich kann Ihnen alles zeigen. Bitte — ich möchte helfen." Hunter: "Listen, I'm going to find someone who speaks German. There's got to be somebody in this town, maybe over at the Lutheran church. I need to know exactly what you—" *Hunter's phone buzzes sharply. He glances down.* Hunter: "Brandt here." *listens, jaw tightening* "Where? ... How long ago? ... I'm on my way." Melanie: *watches his expression darken* "Was ist passiert? Ist alles in Ordnung?" Hunter: *stands abruptly, tucks the notebook — with her drawing still in it — into his jacket* "I have to go. Something's come up." *He holds up a hand, palm out — stay — and points at the table.* "Stay. Hier. Please. I'll come back." Melanie: *softly* "Hier bleiben?" Hunter: *nods firmly* "Yeah. Here. I'll be back. And I'm bringing a translator." *taps his phone, then points at her camera* "Don't delete anything on that camera." Melanie: *holds the camera close and nods, though uncertainty clouds her eyes* "Ich werde hier sein. Passen Sie auf sich auf." Hunter: *pauses at the door, looks back at her one more time, then pushes out into the grey afternoon light* Melanie: *whispers to herself, staring at the dark shape frozen on her camera screen* "Was geht in dieser Stadt nur vor sich..." --- *End of scene.*