Run: 2026-02-25-01KJ95JWP9XE2EAD3WES54B9YB

The scent of cinnamon and brewing coffee hung heavy in the air at The Whispering Pines Cafe, Alborn’s most cherished local haunt. Sunlight, slanting through the windowpanes, illuminated a young woman engrossed in her craft. Isabella, with her Italian accent already a curiosity in this Midwestern town, sat at a corner table. Her DSLR camera, a professional-grade model, rested on the table before her, its lens glinting as she scrolled through images with a focused, yet troubled, intensity. Her brow was furrowed, not merely with photographic concentration, but with a deeper disquiet. Detective Hunter, his former Marine build a solid presence against the cafe's rustic charm, walked in. His eyes, sharp and observant, swept the room before settling on Isabella. She was new, clearly not a local, and her foreignness, coupled with the camera, made her a potential point of interest. He approached her table with a no-nonsense stride. *** **Voice Sheet:** **Hunter:** "Excuse me. Detective Miller. Alborn PD." **(Hunter gestures to himself and the badge on his belt.)** **Hunter:** "I'm investigating some… unusual occurrences in town. Things that might not seem like much to most folks, but sometimes… sometimes people see things. Especially when they're out with a camera." **(He glances at her DSLR.)** **Hunter:** "Did you happen to catch anything out of the ordinary recently? Day or night?" **Isabella:** "Oh, Dio mio. Non… non capisco. Lei parla italiano?" **(Her eyes widen slightly, a flicker of fear in them, and she shakes her head, clutching her camera.)** **Isabella:** "Non parlo inglese. Mi dispiace." **Hunter:** "Whoa, hold on. Italian? Right. You don't speak English. My apologies." **(Hunter rubs his jaw, his mind already shifting gears. He tries a different tack, using simpler words and more gestures.)** **Hunter:** "Okay. Uh… see? Look?" **(He points out the window, then makes a sweeping motion around the town. He then mimics looking through binoculars, then points again, looking questioning.)** **Hunter:** "Anything… strange? Around here? Quiet town, but… things are happening." **Isabella:** **(She looks distraught, her hands beginning to tremble slightly as she shakes her head again, then points emphatically at her camera.)** **Isabella:** "Ho visto qualcosa. Ieri sera, vicino al bosco. C'era… un'ombra. Si muoveva troppo veloce per essere un animale. E poi… ho sentito un suono… un sussurro soffocato. Mi ha gelato il sangue." **(She shivers, her gaze darting towards the window as if expecting to see it again. She quickly navigates her camera, her fingers flying over the controls, and thrusts the screen towards Hunter.)** **Isabella:** "Ho scattato una foto. Guardi! Qui, tra gli alberi. Non è normale." **Hunter:** **(He leans in, squinting at the camera's small screen. The image is grainy, taken in poor light, showing the edge of a dense treeline. There’s a dark, indistinct mass in the shadows that could be anything or nothing.)** **Hunter:** "What am I looking at? The woods? Is that… a person? It's too dark to tell." **(He looks back at Isabella, her genuine fear an undeniable factor, even if he can't understand her words.)** **Hunter:** "You think you saw someone? Someone you shouldn't have?" **(Hunter’s phone buzzes insistently in his pocket. He pulls it out, glances at the caller ID, and his expression tightens instantly.)** **Hunter:** "Damn it. Look, I have to go. Urgent." **(He pockets the phone, looking apologetic but firm.)** **Hunter:** "Listen, I appreciate… whatever you're trying to tell me. Can you… can you write it down? Or draw it? I'll be back. Station's down on Elm Street. Ask for Detective Miller. Okay?" **(He gives her a brief, reassuring nod, then turns and exits the cafe, leaving Isabella looking more unsettled than ever.)**