Run: 2026-03-11-01KKFMCR0K8TRT621GZQ4Z78J3

# Alborn Community Café — Thursday, 3:15 PM **Hunter:** "Excuse me — are you Marie? The exchange student staying at the Hargrove B&B?" **Marie:** "Oui… oui, c'est moi. Pardon, je vous connais ?" **Hunter:** "I'm Detective Hunter, Alborn PD. I'm looking into the disappearance of Tom Wendell. You were seen near the old orchard trail yesterday evening around seven. I'd like to ask you a few questions." **Marie:** "Monsieur Wendell ? Il a disparu ? Mon Dieu… je… je l'ai vu ! Il marchait sur le sentier, et puis… oh non, oh non non non—" **Hunter:** "…You're going to have to slow down, ma'am. I don't— do you speak English?" **Marie:** "Non, non — je ne parle pas anglais. Écoutez, s'il vous plaît ! J'étais en train de photographier les pommiers, le coucher du soleil, et j'ai vu Monsieur Wendell. Il parlait avec quelqu'un… une silhouette… puis la personne est partie vers la forêt, et lui aussi. Je n'ai pas suivi — j'avais peur." **Hunter:** "I'm sorry — I genuinely have no idea what you're saying. Do you have anyone who can translate? A friend, a phone app, anything?" **Marie:** "…app ? Traduire ? Non, non… attendez." *Marie fumbles with her camera, flipping through photos. She turns the screen toward Hunter, showing a wide shot of golden orchard rows. In the far background, two blurry figures stand near the tree line.* **Hunter:** "Is that… is that from yesterday? Those two people — are they near the trail?" **Marie:** "Oui ! Hier ! Tom Wendell et… l'autre. Je ne vois pas qui. Il faisait trop sombre." **Hunter:** "I'm going to take that as a 'yes,' and I'm going to need a copy of this photo. Official police business." **Marie:** "Je peux vous envoyer le fichier. Par e-mail. Donne-moi votre… votre adresse." **Hunter:** "You want my email. Uh— sure. It's hunter.r at albornpd dot gov. Can you write that down?" *Marie scribbles it on a napkin and nods emphatically. She looks shaken, her hands trembling slightly around her camera strap.* **Hunter:** "Hey — are you alright? You look like you've seen a ghost." **Marie:** "Je suis inquiète, monsieur. Cette ville… quelque chose ne va pas. Les gens disparaissent. J'ai peur pour Monsieur Wendell." **Hunter:** "I'm going to assume that meant 'something is wrong with this town and you're worried.' You and me both, kid. You and me both." *Hunter's phone rings. He holds up a finger to Marie and turns away.* **Hunter:** "Hunter here… Yeah. Yeah, I'm on my way. Five minutes." *He turns back to Marie.* **Hunter:** "I have to go. Send me that photo as soon as you can. And Marie — stay out of the orchards after dark. I mean it." **Marie:** "Je… oui. Oui, monsieur le détective. Soyez prudent, vous aussi." **Hunter:** "…Good talk." *Hunter leaves. Marie stares down at her camera, scrolling back to the orchard photo. She zooms in on the second figure. Her breath catches. The photo is too dark to make out a face — but the figure's posture is wrong. Completely wrong. Like someone standing very still who was never meant to be seen.* *She sets the camera down and wraps both hands around her coffee cup, though the drink has long gone cold.* --- *[END SCENE]*