Run: 2026-03-03-01KJTYYVVYZQ111AP2MCMJEZE3

The crisp morning air of Alborn, Minnesota, carried the faint, sweet scent of fermented cider and overripe apples—the hallmark of the town’s annual festival. At a small, weather-worn table outside the local café, Isabella squinted at her camera’s digital viewfinder. Her brow was furrowed, her finger hovering over the playback button as she scrolled through the images she’d captured near the festival grounds. Hunter approached with the rhythmic, heavy tread of a man used to patrolling perimeter lines. He stopped a few feet away, his badge catching the thin, pale sunlight. He watched her for a moment, his eyes scanning the camera with a detective’s suspicion before he settled his gaze on her. *** **Hunter:** "Excuse me, Miss. My name is Detective Hunter. I’m looking into a few incidents that happened down by the orchard last night. You were out there with that camera—did you happen to see anyone near the loading docks around midnight?" **Isabella:** (*She looks up, her eyes wide and rimmed with red. She clutches the camera strap tightly, her knuckles white. She speaks rapidly, her voice trembling, gesturing frantically toward the distant line of trees.*) "Per favore... non capisco cosa stia succedendo! Ho visto delle ombre vicino ai vecchi alberi, erano così scure, così innaturali. Ho provato a scattare una foto, ma il flash... il flash le ha fatte sparire! Non sono fantasmi, vero? Ti prego, dimmi che non sono pazza!" **Hunter:** (*He blinks, his expression shifting from focused to utterly bewildered. He tilts his head slightly, his hand instinctively brushing the side of his holster.*) "Whoa, slow down. I’m not following that at all. Look, do you speak English? *English*? Habla... no, that’s not right. Are you even from around here?" **Isabella:** (*She notices his frustration and her panic spikes. She pushes the camera toward him, tapping the screen aggressively.*) "Guardi! Guardi lo schermo! C’era qualcuno lì, qualcuno che non doveva essere visto. Ho paura che mi abbiano seguita fin qui. Perché non mi capisce? È così importante!" **Hunter:** (*He stares at the camera screen, seeing only a blurry, overexposed shot of rustling leaves, before shaking his head in defeat. He sighs, rubbing the back of his neck.*) "I can’t make heads or tails of the photos and I don’t speak a word of... wherever you’re from. Look, kid, stay put, okay? Don't go back to those trees." **Isabella:** (*She pulls the camera back, tears welling in her eyes, sensing his dismissiveness.*) "Mi lasci sola? Dopo quello che ho visto? Non può lasciarmi in questo posto, non sono al sicuro!" **Hunter:** (*His radio crackles loudly at his hip, cutting through the silence. He unclips it, listening to a frantic report. His face tightens into a grimace of pure professional focus.*) "Yeah, Hunter here. *Where?* Right. I’m on my way." (*He looks back at Isabella one last time, frustrated by the language barrier.*) "I have to hit the road. Stay indoors. Lock your door. Do you understand? *Lock. The. Door.*" **Isabella:** (*She watches him walk away, her hands shaking as she tucks the camera into her bag, feeling more alone than ever in the quiet, apple-scented streets of Alborn.*) "Aspetti! Non se ne vada! Qualcuno mi aiuti..."