Run: 2026-03-18-01KM0AJSESJAD9S2Q702C3BA5E

Maria: “¿Puedo… hablar contigo un momento? Estoy—estoy un poco nerviosa.” Hunter: “I’m Detective Hunter. You were the one asking around this morning, right? Name?” Maria: “Me llamo Maria.” *[She swallows, fingers tightening around her camera strap.]* “Quería preguntar sobre… lo que pasó en el festival.” Hunter: “Festival’s next week. What are you talking about?” Maria: “Ayer.” *[Her voice drops.]* “En el festival… el que desapareció. Nadie dice nada claro.” Hunter: “Disappearances? I’ve been handling that. You saw something?” Maria: “Sí. Pero no… no sé cómo explicarlo. Todo fue muy rápido.” *[She shakes her head, eyes fixed on her camera as if it might anchor her.]* “Vi a un hombre correr hacia el granero antiguo. Antes de que cerraran la puerta.” Hunter: “An old barn by the fairgrounds?” Maria: “Sí.” *[She fidgets, then gestures vaguely, searching for words.]* “Y escuché… gritos. Luego silencio. Como si el sonido se hubiera apagado.” Hunter: “Who was with him?” Maria: “No lo sé. Yo estaba tomando fotos del paisaje.” *[A small, bitter half-smile.]* “Eso es lo que hago. Pero cuando vi… supe que algo no estaba bien.” Hunter: “You’re here for landscape photography, and yet you were at the fairgrounds late yesterday?” Maria: “Estoy en un programa de estudios en el extranjero. Vine para ver lugares… para aprender.” *[She exhales, troubled.]* “Pero hoy me dijeron que no debería haber estado allí. Que era peligroso.” Hunter: “Who told you that?” Maria: “Una mujer en la tienda. Dijo que las cosas ‘se arreglan solas’ en Alborn.” *[She glances up, eyes wide.]* “No entendí qué quiso decir… hasta ahora.” Hunter: “People say a lot of things. I need specifics. Time. Direction. Anything you can remember.” Maria: “No mires como si no me creyeras.” *[Her Spanish turns more urgent.]* “Lo que recuerdo es… el olor. Como metal caliente y manzanas podridas.” Hunter: “Metal and… apples?” Maria: “Sí. Y una luz. Una luz roja, como una linterna muy lejos. Entonces el hombre… ya no estaba.” Hunter: “Alright. Red light. Barn. Sounds like you witnessed something connected to one of the missing persons.” Maria: “¿Conectado?” *[She leans forward, desperate for reassurance.]* “¿Pero él está vivo? Dime que él…” Hunter: “I can’t tell you that.” *[He keeps his tone steady, but his brow creases—he’s trying to follow and assess.]* “Listen, I don’t know Spanish, so we’re gonna need to keep this simple.” Maria: “Lo siento… yo solo hablo español.” *[She presses her palm to her chest, shaken.]* “No… no puedo—” Hunter: “Okay. That’s fine. Just point. Or show me where you were. Let me—” Maria: “Es que estoy muy asustada.” *[Her eyes glisten.]* “Creí que si miraba con la cámara… todo se volvería normal. Pero no.” Hunter: “Maria.” *[He says her name carefully, as if memorizing it.]* “Take a breath. You’re safe here. What’s the last thing you saw?” Maria: “El granero. La puerta… estaba abierta un poquito.” Hunter: “Open a little.” Maria: “Y yo… yo tomé una foto.” *[She finally lifts her camera, showing him the screen. Her Spanish rushes again, fast and emotional.]* “Mira—en el borde, en la sombra—hay algo. No sé qué es. Pero… parece como si alguien estuviera escondido.” Hunter: “I can look at the photo after. Right now I need a location and a timeline. Can you tell me what time?” Maria: “No sé el reloj… solo sé que la gente ya cantaba.” Hunter: “People were singing.” Maria: “Sí. Como antes de cerrar. Y luego… la música se apagó.” Hunter: “Alright. That helps. You said there was a woman at the store.” Maria: “Sí. Ella sabe.” Hunter: “Good. We’ll talk to her. But first—” *[His phone buzzes. He checks the screen without looking away from Maria.]* Hunter: “Hold on.” Maria: “¿Qué pasa? ¿Es… por eso?” Hunter: “Dispatch. We’ve got another report. I need to go.” Maria: “No—espera. Por favor. ¿Vas a volver?” Hunter: “I’ll come back as soon as I can.” Maria: “Gracias… pero estoy preocupada.” Hunter: “I understand.” *[He pauses, then tries—awkwardly but sincerely—at a bridge to her language.]* “Gracias. Estoy buscando personas. Stay here.” Maria: “¿Stay here?” *[She repeats the English fragment like a broken lifeline. Then she nods, still frightened.]* “De acuerdo.” Hunter: “Don’t go anywhere. If you hear anything else—call Alborn PD.” Maria: “Pero tú no… no tienes español.” Hunter: “No. But I’ve got a translator app.” Maria: “Ajá…” *[A small, grateful exhale. She clutches her camera.]* “Entonces… hasta pronto.” Hunter: “Yeah. Until soon.” *[He turns, already moving, but he looks back once.]* “Maria—good job bringing that photo. That might matter.” Maria: “Lo siento… por estar tan alterada.” Hunter: “Just keep breathing.” *[He leaves the cafe, phone to his ear, leaving Maria staring at the door—camera in her lap, hope and dread tangled together.]*