Run: 2026-02-25-01KJ95H36P47EERA70J5XXTS13

The Cozy Corner Cafe was usually Melanie’s sanctuary. Sunlight dappled through the large bay window, illuminating dust motes dancing in the quiet air, a stark contrast to the dimly lit German beer gardens of her memory. Today, however, it was less refuge and more a temporary perch. She cradled her professional-grade DSLR, its matte black finish cool against her fingers, running a soft cloth over the lens with practiced care. Alborn, Minnesota, a town so small its main claim to fame was an annual apple festival, felt both charmingly quaint and eerily silent lately. The silence worried her. She’d photographed the rolling hills, the old barn on the county road, the whispering pines at the edge of the woods, capturing the quiet beauty of the Midwest. But yesterday, a flicker of something less picturesque had entered her frame, something she couldn't shake. The bell above the cafe door tinkled, announcing a new arrival. Melanie barely registered it until a shadow fell over her small table. She looked up, her gaze meeting a pair of sharp, assessing eyes belonging to a man who looked every bit like the small-town detective she’d glimpsed around town. He had a compact build, the kind that spoke of discipline, and an air of no-nonsense authority. “Excuse me, miss?” His voice was a low rumble, polite but carrying an unspoken weight. Melanie blinked, her heart giving a sudden, anxious lurch. She recognized the authority in his demeanor, the way he held himself. She clutched her camera strap a little tighter. “Ja?” He stepped closer, a worn badge visible on his vest. He pulled out a small, dog-eared notepad. “I’m Detective Harrison. We’re looking into some… unusual activity. Were you out near Miller’s Creek yesterday evening, late?” He spoke slowly, enunciating each word as if addressing a child, a common tactic when faced with a language barrier. Melanie’s brow furrowed, a flicker of confusion crossing her features. Miller’s Creek? Was the name familiar? The afternoon was quiet, a gentle reprieve from the unsettling events of the previous night. She tilted her head. “Miller’s Creek? Gestern Abend?” She repeated the key phrases, hoping he’d clarify. He nodded, a slight frown touching his lips. He ran a hand over his close-cropped hair. “Yes. Last night. Did you see anything? Anyone? A car, maybe?” He gestured vaguely towards the window, then mimed the action of driving a car, turning his hand in a circle. Suddenly, the image flashed in her mind: the dark, silent woods, the abrupt, sharp turn of a vehicle, the chilling sound that followed. Her breath hitched. She shook her head vigorously, then her eyes darted to her camera. “Ja, ja!” Her voice, usually soft, was filled with distress. “Ich habe etwas gesehen! Es war schrecklich!” She clasped her hands together, her knuckles white. Hunter’s expression remained an unreadable slate, though a flicker of confusion played around his eyes. He heard the distress, the urgency, but the meaning was lost. “You… saw something? Can you… describe it? In English?” He tried again, his tone coaxing. Melanie’s carefully constructed composure shattered. The memory was too vivid, the fear too potent. She spoke rapidly, a torrent of German tumbling out, each word laced with genuine terror. “Ein dunkler Lieferwagen! Er fuhr schnell, ohne Licht, in den Wald hinein! Und ich glaube, ich habe jemanden gehört... ein Schrei, leise, aber deutlich! Ich konnte nichts tun! Mein Herz... es pochte so schnell!” Detective Hunter stood frozen for a moment, the rapid-fire German washing over him like an incomprehensible tide. He heard the sharp consonants, the melodic rise and fall, the clear undertone of fear, but he might as well have been listening to static. His frustration was a tangible thing, a tight knot in his chest. He quickly flipped open his phone, his fingers flying across the screen. He found an image – a missing person poster for Sarah Jenkins, the woman who'd vanished near Miller’s Creek a week ago. He held the screen out to Melanie. “This person? Did you see her? Or near her?” Melanie’s eyes widened further as she recognized the face. The young woman’s smile in the photo offered a painful contrast to her own recent terror. She nodded frantically, pointing a trembling finger at the phone, then back towards the direction of the woods, her German words now imbued with a frantic certainty. "Ja! Die Frau! Ich habe sie nicht direkt gesehen, aber sie war in der Nähe! Der Lieferwagen... er fuhr genau dort vorbei, wo sie vielleicht war!" Hunter absorbed the nods, the gestures, the repeated phrase about the van. He pieced together fragments of meaning: the woman, the van, the woods. He pointed to himself, then made a driving motion with his hand, followed by a sweeping gesture towards the trees outside. “Van? Woods?” “Ja!” Melanie confirmed, her voice hoarse with emotion. “Ein Lieferwagen! Dunkel! Schnell!” Just as a sliver of potential understanding began to form, his phone vibrated insistently in his pocket. He pulled it out, his jaw tightening. The screen glowed with Caller ID – HQ. “Damn it.” He looked back at Melanie, his gaze apologetic but firm. “Look, I… I have to go. This is important.” He made a quick “driving away” motion with his hand, then pointed to himself. “Detective. Gotta go.” He held her gaze for a moment, trying to convey a promise he wasn't sure he could keep. “We’ll… uh… find a way to talk. Or maybe find someone who translates.” He gave a curt nod, the sound of the cafe fading as he turned and strode out, the bell above the door giving a final, sharp clang. Melanie watched him go, a knot of unanswered questions and lingering fear tightening in her chest, clutching her camera like a shield. *** **Voice Sheet** **Melanie:** "Ja?" **Hunter:** "Excuse me, miss?" **Melanie:** "Miller's Creek? Gestern Abend?" **Hunter:** "Yes. Last night. Did you see anything? Anyone? A car, maybe?" **Melanie:** "Ja, ja! Ich habe etwas gesehen! Es war schrecklich!" **Hunter:** "You... saw something? Can you... describe it? In English?" **Melanie:** "Ein dunkler Lieferwagen! Er fuhr schnell, ohne Licht, in den Wald hinein! Und ich glaube, ich habe jemanden gehört... ein Schrei, leise, aber deutlich! Ich konnte nichts tun! Mein Herz... es pochte so schnell!" **Hunter:** (Holds up phone with photo of Sarah Jenkins) "This person? Did you see her? Or near her?" **Melanie:** "Ja! Die Frau! Ich habe sie nicht direkt gesehen, aber sie war in der Nähe! Der Lieferwagen... er fuhr genau dort vorbei, wo sie vielleicht war!" **Hunter:** (Points to himself, makes driving motion, points towards woods) "Van? Woods?" **Melanie:** "Ja! Ein Lieferwagen! Dunkel! Schnell!" **Hunter:** "Look, I... I have to go. This is important. We'll... uh... find a way to talk. Or maybe find someone who translates."