Run: 2026-03-03-01KJTYYSF9HB5DD71GK5ZM0Z6W

The air inside the Alborn café smelled of cinnamon and damp wool, a stark contrast to the biting November chill outside. Melanie sat at a corner table, her knuckles white as she gripped her DSLR. She hovered over the playback button, her eyes darting between the digital screen and the window, where the last of the apple festival decorations were being cleared away. Hunter pushed the cafe door open, his heavy boots sounding a rhythmic thud against the hardwood. He spotted the girl—the one the locals mentioned had been wandering with a camera near the old orchard—and moved toward her with the practiced, heavy stride of a former Marine. He pulled out the chair across from her without asking. *** **Voice Sheet** **Hunter:** "Excuse me, miss? I’m Detective Hunter. I saw you filming up by the north ridge yesterday—near the orchard. I’m looking into some people who went missing. Did you happen to see anyone else up there around sunset?" **Melanie:** *(Her eyes widen, her breath hitching in her throat as she clutches the camera to her chest.)* "Oh Gott, nein... es war so dunkel. Ich habe diese Lichter gesehen, diese seltsamen, blauen Lichter zwischen den Bäumen, und dann... als ich meine Kamera hob, war er einfach weg. Einfach verschwunden! Ich habe nur noch das Rauschen im Wald gehört." **Hunter:** *(Frowning, he leans forward and tilts his head, rubbing the back of his neck.)* "I... I’m sorry, I didn’t catch any of that. Look, I’m not here to take your camera. I just need to know if you saw a man in a red jacket. Did you see someone, or was it just the trees?" **Melanie:** *(Shaking her head frantically, eyes brimming with tears, she gestures wildly toward the camera screen.)* "Verstehen Sie nicht? Es war kein Mensch! Die Kamera... sie hat etwas eingefangen, das nicht da sein sollte. Ein Schatten! Ein Schatten ohne Körper! Ich habe Angst, jeden Moment könnte er wieder hier sein." **Hunter:** *(He stares at her, his expression a mix of frustration and mounting concern, his hands held up in a placating gesture.)* "Look, German? Is that German? I’m sorry, I don’t follow. I’m trying to help you, but you’ve got to give me something I can work with. Did you see a suspect or not?" **Melanie:** *(She pushes the camera toward him, trembling violently.)* "Sehen Sie sich das Bild an! Bitte, schauen Sie doch!" **Hunter:** *(He opens his mouth to respond, but his radio crackles against his belt, a sharp, static-filled interruption. He sighs, pulling the radio free and pressing the button.)* "Hunter here... What? Right now? Fine. I’m on my way." *(He stands up abruptly, looking down at his notepad, then back at Melanie.)* "Look, miss, stay here. Don't leave town. I have a situation I have to attend to, but we aren't done talking." **Melanie:** *(She stares at the retreating back of his coat, her fingers trembling as she tucks the camera away.)* "Bitte kommen Sie zurück... Sie haben keine Ahnung, was in diesem Wald wartet."