Run: 2026-03-11-01KKFEJT8MHEB5V5MT2WN9GGHD

# Scene: The Blue Bird Café, Alborn, MN The afternoon sun filtered through the windows of the Blue Bird Café, casting warm light over the checkered tablecloths. Selvi sat alone in a corner booth, her camera resting on the table in front of her. She wasn't taking photos — her hands were trembling too much. She kept replaying what she had seen that morning near the old orchard: the man in the dark jacket dragging something heavy into the tree line, the second car parked with its engine still running, the muffled sound that might have been a voice. Her landscape photography walks had always been peaceful. Until today. A chair scraped across the floor, and she flinched. Detective Hunter pulled it back and settled across from her, badge clipped to his belt, coffee-stained file folder in hand. His eyes moved between Selvi and the camera. **Hunter:** "You Selvi? I'm Detective Hunter, Alborn PD. Mind if I sit down?" **Selvi:** *(gripping the edge of the table, eyes wide)* "..." **Hunter:** *(leaning forward)* "I'll get to it. You were out by the old Harlan orchard this morning, weren't you? Couple of neighbors mentioned seeing a woman with a camera walking that road early. You see anything unusual out there? Anything at all?" **Selvi:** *(voice shaking, words tumbling out quickly)* "Haan, haan — main subah wahan gayi thi, taiyari ke liye... lekin maine kuch dekha, Hunter-ji. Kuch galat tha. Woh aadmi... woh aadmi bahut zor se kuch le ja raha tha. Darakhton ke beech. Aur doosri gaadi... woh bhi wahan thi. Bina kisi ke, sirf engine chal raha tha. Mujhe bahut dar laga. Main bhag gayi. Maine tasveer nahi li — main bas bhag gayi. Mujhe lagta hai woh kisi ko... koi aur tha wahan, shayad." *(She clutched her camera strap, pressing it against her chest.)* **Hunter:** *(blinks, tilting his head)* "...Okay. I'm not gonna pretend I caught any of that. Do you speak English? Even a little?" **Selvi:** *(frustrated, pressing her palms flat on the table)* "Nahi! Main English nahi bolti! Hindi. Hindi samajhti hoon!" **Hunter:** *(exhaling through his nose, rubbing the bridge of his jaw)* "Right. Okay. Hindi." *(He pulled out his phone and tapped the screen uselessly for a moment before setting it down again.)* "Look — orchard. Harlan orchard." *(He pointed out the window toward the east.)* "You were there this morning. You saw something. Something bad. Correct?" **Selvi:** *(studying his face, then pointing east and nodding vigorously)* "Haan. Haan! Wahan!" *(She mimed carrying something heavy over her shoulder, then pointed forward, then held up two fingers.)* "Do log. Gaadi doosri. Woh le gaye — woh kisi ko le gaye." *(She made a pulling motion with both fists, then drew a line across her throat with her finger, eyes glistening.)* **Hunter:** *(watching her intently, jaw tightening)* "Someone was taken. Into the trees. Two people. A second vehicle." *(He pulled a small notebook from his breast pocket and scribbled furiously.)* "How many victims? One or more than one?" **Selvi:** *(held up one finger, then hesitated, then held up a second.)* "...Ek... do. Do log." *(Her voice cracked.)* "Main sure nahi hoon. Mujhe bahut dar tha. Bahut." *(She wrapped her arms around herself.)* **Hunter:** "You get a look at either of them? The men? Anything — height, clothing, a vehicle description?" **Selvi:** *(frowned, understanding only half. She said slowly, using gestures as much as words)* "Ek aadmi — lamba, kala jacket... uske chehre par... mask nahi, par—" *(She held her hand over the lower half of her face.)* "Covered. Uski aankhein... buri." *(She pointed to her own eyes, then made them narrow.)* "Bhari aankhein." **Hunter:** *(scribbling again)* "Tall. Black jacket. Lower face covered. You didn't get plates on the car?" **Selvi:** *(shook her head helplessly)* "Nahi. Door se dekha. Main... bahut door se." *(She looked down at her camera.)* "Agar maine socha hota toh... tasveer leti... par main sirf bhagi." **Hunter:** *(quieter now, almost gentle)* "You did what anyone would do. That's not nothing." *(He closed his notebook and started to stand.)* "I need to make a call, but I'm going to get you a translator, Selvi. You saw something important, and I need you to be able to tell me all of it. Don't leave town. Don't go back to that orchard." His phone buzzed violently against his hip. He glanced at the screen, and his expression hardened. **Hunter:** "That's dispatch. I gotta move." *(He dropped a business card on the table between them.)* "Call that number. Ask for Chen — she speaks Hindi. I'll find you again this evening, and we'll talk properly. Okay?" **Selvi:** *(picking up the card, nodding slowly)* "Theek hai. Main... main intezar karungi. Par Hunter-ji—" *(She reached out and caught his wrist before he turned. Her eyes were steady now, frightened but clear.)* "—jaldi aana. Bahut jaldi. Agar woh humein pata chal gaya toh... unhe bhi pata chal sakta hai. Unhe pata chal sakta hai ki maine dekha." *(She released his wrist and looked back at her camera.)* "Main is darr ke saath nahi jeena chahti." **Hunter:** *(holding her gaze for a long moment, then giving a single firm nod)* "I hear you. Stay safe." *(He was already pulling out his phone as he pushed through the café door, his voice hard and fast by the time Selvi heard him say, "Get me everything on Harlan Road — now.")* Selvi watched him go, then looked down at the business card, then at her camera. She turned the camera over in her hands and pressed it gently against her forehead. The café hummed on around her, unaware. --- ## Voice Sheet **Selvi:** "Haan, haan — main subah wahan gayi thi, taiyari ke liye... lekin maine kuch dekha, Hunter-ji. Kuch galat tha. Woh aadmi... woh aadmi bahut zor se kuch le ja raha tha. Darakhton ke beech. Aur doosri gaadi... woh bhi wahan thi. Bina kisi ke, sirf engine chal raha tha. Mujhe bahut dar laga. Main bhag gayi. Maine tasveer nahi li — main bas bhag gayi. Mujhe lagta hai woh kisi ko... koi aur tha wahan, shayad." **Hunter:** "You Selvi? I'm Detective Hunter, Alborn PD. Mind if I sit down? I'll get to it. You were out by the old Harlan orchard this morning, weren't you? Couple of neighbors mentioned seeing a woman with a camera walking that road early. You see anything unusual out there? Anything at all?" **Selvi:** "Nahi! Main English nahi bolti! Hindi. Hindi samajhti hoon!" **Hunter:** "Okay. Look — orchard. Harlan orchard. You were there this morning. You saw something. Something bad. Correct?" **Selvi:** "Haan. Haan! Wahan! Do log. Gaadi doosri. Woh le gaye — woh kisi ko le gaye." *(voice cracking)* "Ek... do. Do log. Main sure nahi hoon. Mujhe bahut dar tha. Bahut." **Hunter:** "You get a look at either of them? The men? Anything — height, clothing, a vehicle description?" **Selvi:** "Ek aadmi — lamba, kala jacket... uske chehre par... mask nahi, par... covered. Uski aankhein... buri. Bhari aankhein." *(shaking head)* "Nahi. Door se dekha. Main... bahut door se. Agar maine socha hota toh... tasveer leti... par main sirf bhagi." **Hunter:** "You did what anyone would do. That's not nothing. I need to make a call, but I'm going to get you a translator, Selvi. You saw something important, and I need you to be able to tell me all of it. Don't leave town. Don't go back to that orchard." **Selvi:** "Theek hai. Main... main intezar karungi. Par Hunter-ji... jaldi aana. Bahut jaldi. Agar woh humein pata chal gaya toh... unhe bhi pata chal sakta hai. Unhe pata chal sakta hai ki maine dekha. Main is darr ke saath nahi jeena chahti." **Hunter:** "I hear you. Stay safe."