Run: 2026-03-03-01KJTXSK71B3P68EZJ37RRJRWA

The morning mist still clung to the edges of Alborn, Minnesota, turning the windows of the local café into blurred, frosted canvases. Melanie sat by the window, her knuckles white as she clutched her camera. She was swiping through the digital playback—grainy, high-contrast shots of the dense woods on the town’s perimeter—her brow furrowed in genuine distress. Hunter, his heavy boots sounding a rhythmic, steady cadence against the checkered tile floor, stepped up to her table. He carried the weight of a man who hadn't slept since the disappearances began. He didn't offer a polite preamble; he pulled out a chair and sat, his presence filling the small space like a cold front. **Voice Sheet:** **Hunter:** "I’m Detective Hunter. I’ve been asking around about the festival grounds yesterday afternoon. Witnesses said you were out by the old orchard with your camera around the time someone went missing. I need to see those files." **Melanie:** *(Her eyes widen, darting toward him with a look of frantic, wide-eyed confusion. She shakes her head slowly, clutching the camera to her chest.)* "Nein, nein… bitte. Es war nicht wie es aussah! Ich weiß nicht, was ich gesehen habe, aber die Schatten… sie haben sich bewegt. Es ist einfach nicht richtig, diese Bilder zu zeigen!" **Hunter:** *(He tilts his head, his brow knitting together. He stares at her, his lips thinning into a straight line of intense frustration.)* "Look, I don’t know what’s going on, but I need you to speak clearly. I’m not here to play games. Did you see someone take him, or did you just hear something?" **Melanie:** *(She begins to tremble, her voice rising in pitch, tears welling in her eyes.)* "Hören Sie mir doch zu! Die Kamera… sie hat etwas eingefangen, das nicht da sein sollte. Es ist böse. Ich habe es nicht verstanden, als ich den Auslöser drückte, aber jetzt… jetzt wird mir schlecht, wenn ich nur dran denke!" **Hunter:** *(He leans forward, eyes narrowed, trying to read her expression.)* "You're talking about the camera again. Is that what’s bothering you? Just show me the display screen. If you saw something out there, you need to tell me. English, please?" **Melanie:** *(She pushes the camera toward him but grips the strap, her voice dropping to a panicked whisper.)* "Ich kann nicht… ich verstehe Sie nicht. Bitte, gehen Sie weg. Es beobachtet uns. Ich schwöre es, die Linsen… die Linsen haben es gesehen!" **Hunter:** *(His cell phone buzzes sharply on the table, cutting through the tension. He glances at the screen, his jaw hardening as he stands up abruptly.)* "Dammit. Fine. Catch your breath. I have to go, but don't leave town. I’m not done with you."