Run: 2026-02-25-01KJ94X0F96CA06WXS5QDKSBQ1

The morning light in Alborn was heavy with the scent of damp earth and ripening Jonathans, but for Melanie, the picturesque charm of the Midwest had turned into a blur of grey. She sat at a corner table of "The Rusty Mug," her fingers trembling as she scrolled through the digital playback on her Canon. Detective Hunter pushed through the door, the bell jangling with a sharpness that matched his stride. He looked like a man who hadn't slept, his jaw set in a line of military precision. He spotted the camera and the young woman who seemed to be shrinking into her oversized sweater. Hunter: "Excuse me. Local police. I'm Detective Hunter. You’re the student staying at the Miller farm, right? The photographer?" Melanie: "Oh! Hallo... Entschuldigung? Ich... ich weiß nicht..." Hunter: "I’m investigating the disappearance from the festival grounds last night. People saw you out there near the north edge of the orchard with your gear. Did you see anything unusual around ten o’clock?" Melanie: "Es war so dunkel... Ich habe versucht, die Sterne zu fotografieren, aber dann... da war dieser Mann. Er hat jemanden getragen, Hunter. Ich habe solche Angst. Er sah aus, als würde er aus dem Nichts kommen." Hunter: "Whoa, slow down. I don't speak... is that German? Do you have any English at all? English?" Melanie: "Ich verstehe nicht! Bitte, hören Sie mir zu! In meinem Foto... da ist etwas im Hintergrund. Es ist schrecklich. Ich wollte nur die Landschaft fotografieren, aber ich glaube, ich habe etwas Schlimmes gesehen." Hunter: "I’m not catching a word of that, ma'am. Look, I need to know if you saw a red truck or anyone walking toward the woods. Look at my badge. I’m a detective. I’m trying to help." Melanie: "Polizei? Ja? Bitte, sehen Sie sich das an! Hier, auf dem Bildschirm! Dieser Schatten bei den Apfelbäumen... das ist kein Baum. Das ist eine Person, die wegrennt!" Hunter: "I don't know if you're upset because of the language barrier or because you saw something. Just... stay put. Don't leave the cafe. I need to find someone who can translate." Melanie: "Gehen Sie nicht weg! Es ist nicht sicher hier! Der Mann... er hat mich gesehen, glaube ich. Ich habe den Blitz benutzt und er hat sich umgedreht!" Hunter: "Look, I—" *(Hunter’s radio crackles loudly, followed by his phone buzzing aggressively in his pocket. He sighs, pulls it out, and looks at the screen.)* Hunter: "Hunter here. What? Where? The creek? Don't touch anything, I’m five minutes out. Guard the perimeter." Hunter: "Look, I have to go. An emergency. You stay here. Bleiben... uh... stay. Okay? Just stay right here." Melanie: "Warten Sie! Bitte! Sie können mich hier nicht allein lassen! Was mache ich mit der Kamera?" Hunter: "I'll be back. Just keep your head down."