Run: 2026-02-25-01KJ94ZF76YZFKC9A2C5WMAMG2

The bell above the door of "The Daily Grind" chimed a cheerful, almost mocking, melody as Detective Hunter Miller stepped inside. The scent of coffee and a faint hint of apple pie, Alborn's signature aroma this time of year, hung in the air. His gaze swept the small, cozy space and landed on a young woman by the window. She was engrossed in her camera, her brow furrowed in concentration as she peered at the small screen. Her hair was the color of ripening wheat, and her clothes were practical, foreign in a way that marked her as one of the study abroad students he’d been warned about. Hunter approached her table, his gait steady and purposeful. He didn't have time for pleasantries; the disappearances plaguing Alborn wouldn't solve themselves. "Excuse me, miss," he said, his voice a low, steady octave. "Detective Hunter Miller. I'm investigating some unusual activity in town over the last few nights. Seen or heard anything out of the ordinary recently? Especially out towards the old logging road near Miller's Creek?" Melanie looked up, her clear blue eyes widening slightly. She offered a polite, hesitant smile, her accent thick as she replied, "Hallo." Then, as Hunter's question registered more fully, her expression shifted, a flicker of unease disturbing her features. She clutched the sophisticated camera resting on the table. The smile vanished, replaced by a look of genuine distress. The words tumbled out, a cascade of German that was clearly more than a simple greeting. “Ich… ich glaube nicht, dass ich etwas Gutes gesehen habe. Es war dunkel, ja, sehr dunkel. Und schnell. Ich bin mir nicht sicher, was es war, aber es hat mich erschreckt.” Her hands made small, quick gestures, her eyes wide with a fear that seemed to deepen as she spoke. “Ich habe es fotografiert… ich hoffe es… es zeigt es.” She pointed a trembling finger towards the camera, then vaguely towards the window, as if indicating a direction. Hunter stared, his professional mask faltering into a mask of complete bewilderment. He heard the frantic tone, the rising panic in her voice, but the words themselves were a foreign landscape. "I'm sorry," he said, his voice flat. "I don't understand German. Can you speak English?" Melanie’s distress intensified, her brow furrowing further. She shook her head emphatically. “Nein, kein fließendes Englisch. Nur Deutsch,” she insisted, her gaze pleading. She picked up her camera, turning it over in her hands as if seeking reassurance from the familiar object. “Meine Kamera… sie hat es gesehen.” She mimed pressing a button, then pointed to the lens, her fear palpable even across the language barrier. Hunter pinched the bridge of his nose for a brief second. This was going to be harder than he thought. He tried again, simplifying his approach, pointing at her camera. “Did you… take pictures? Of this… *thing*?” He mimed the action again, more emphatically. “Can you show me? What did you see?” He pointed to the camera, then gestured broadly to indicate she should reveal its contents. Melanie nodded eagerly, tears shimmering in her eyes. She fumbled with the strap of her camera bag, her fingers clumsy with residual fear. "Ja, ja! Ich habe gespeichert! Aber ich schwöre, es fühlte sich an, als ob es mich beobachtet hätte, lange bevor ich es sah. Dunkel und… hungrig." She choked on the last word, her voice barely above a whisper, pointing again to the camera, then frantically towards the woods he had mentioned, her terror a raw, open wound. Just as Hunter was about to try a sketch, or perhaps hunt down one of the few bilingual folks in town, his phone vibrated violently in his pocket. He pulled it out, glancing at the caller ID. His jaw tightened. Duty called, and it sounded urgent. "I'm sorry, I have to go," he said, stepping back from the table. He pulled a business card from his wallet, scribbled a quick note on the back, and placed it next to her camera. "Detective Miller. Any information is vital. If you can find someone to translate, have them call this number. And I'd very much like to see those pictures." He gave her one last look, a silent acknowledgment of her fear and his frustration, before turning and exiting the cafe, leaving Melanie alone with her camera and her unsettling memories. *** **Voice Sheet:** **Melanie:** "Hallo." **Hunter:** "Excuse me, miss. Detective Miller. I'm investigating some unusual activity in town over the last few nights. Seen or heard anything out of the ordinary recently? Especially out towards the old logging road near Miller's Creek?" **Melanie:** "Ich… ich glaube nicht, dass ich etwas Gutes gesehen habe. Es war dunkel, ja, sehr dunkel. Und schnell. Ich bin mir nicht sicher, was es war, aber es hat mich erschreckt. Ich habe es fotografiert… ich hoffe es… es zeigt es." **Hunter:** "I'm sorry. I don't understand German. Can you speak English?" **Melanie:** "Nein, kein fließendes Englisch. Nur Deutsch. Meine Kamera… sie hat es gesehen." **Hunter:** "Did you… take pictures? Of this… *thing*? Can you show me? What did you see?" **Melanie:** "Ja, ja! Ich habe gespeichert! Aber ich schwöre, es fühlte sich an, als ob es mich beobachtet hätte, lange bevor ich es sah. Dunkel und… hungrig." **Hunter:** "I'm sorry, I have to go."