Run: 2026-03-18-01KM0AS1NZ9Y6YVRNPNRDJX9YT

--- **Melanie:** (gazing down at her camera, absently) Es ist... beunruhigend... **Hunter:** (approaching her table) Afternoon, miss. Mind if I sit down? **Melanie:** (looking up, startled) Oh! Ja, bitte... **Hunter:** (taking the seat across from her) Name’s Hunter. Detective Hunter. You new in town? **Melanie:** (nodding slightly) Ja. College... (gestures vaguely) **Hunter:** Study abroad, huh? Where you from? **Melanie:** Ich komme aus Deutschland. **Hunter:** (scratching his temple, confused glance) Uh... Germany. Right. So you’ve been here a few weeks now? Seen anything... out of the ordinary? **Melanie:** (tense, voice lowering) Ja... Sehr seltsam. **Hunter:** (leaning forward) Strange how? Like the missing hikers? **Melanie:** (flinching slightly) Die verschwinden... **Hunter:** (nodding) Yeah, the disappearances. You heard about ’em, right? Folks sayin’ they saw shadows in the woods at dusk. **Melanie:** (nods quickly) Ja! Genau das! (she mimes snapping a photo, then gestures toward the forest edge) Gestern Abend... ich habe es gesehen... **Hunter:** (eyes narrowing) You saw somethin’ last night? Out by the tree line? **Melanie:** (hands trembling slightly, speaking rapidly in German) Ja. Aber... ich will nicht darüber reden. Es... es macht mir Angst. **Hunter:** (raising his hands slightly) Whoa, hold on. You don’t have to talk if you don’t wanna. But if you can tell me—did you see someone out there? **Melanie:** (swallowing hard, eyes darting toward the café exit before she quiets her voice) Nein... nicht jemand... etwas. Etwas... Unnatürliches... **Hunter:** (leans back slightly) Unnatural? Like an animal? **Melanie:** (shakes her head vehemently) Nein... nicht Tier. Menschlich... aber nicht ganz. **Hunter:** (blinks, confused again) Not entirely human? You mean like a person wrapped up strapped up or— **Melanie:** (cutting in, frustrated) Nein! Nicht so! Ich kann nicht... (she takes a steadying breath, speaking slower) Es hatte... Augen. Zu viele Augen. **Hunter:** (goes still, hand frozen mid-reach for his notepad) Come again? **Melanie:** (realizing she spoke German, she recoils slightly) Ich—ich muss gehen. (she begins gathering her camera bag) **Hunter:** (raising his palm slightly, trying to keep her there) Hold up now. Look, I don’t speak that lingo, but I need you to slow down. Eyes? Too many eyes where? In the woods? **Melanie:** (hesitant, but whispering) An einer Gestalt in den Bäumen. Wie... deformiert. **Hunter:** (digging out his phone) Okay, okay... (taps his screen, pulls up a notes app, holds it out) Point to the area where you saw this. Use the map. **Melanie:** (staring at the phone, then back at him, shaking her head) Ich... (waves her hand) Es ist zu gefährlich. **Hunter:** (persistent but softer) Listen. Do you want people to keep disappearin’? I’m tryin’ to stop it, but I need every damn clue I can get. **Melanie:** (sighs shakily, glances at the door again) Fine. (she reaches for his phone, pulls up the map of the woods, hesitates, then taps the southeastern edge of the forest) **Hunter:** (watching closely) Southeast sector. Got it. And this... (mimes taking a photo) you were picture-taking? **Melanie:** (nods) Ja. **Hunter:** (rubbing his jaw) Proof, huh? You still got the shot? **Melanie:** (glances at her camera, then back at him) Vielleicht. Aber ich... (shakes her head) Ich traue es nicht meiner Sicht. **Hunter:** (standing up, phone still out) Alright. You come with me to the station, we’ll take a look. You can show me what you’ve got. **Melanie:** (flinching, clutching her camera) Nein! Nicht jetzt... **Hunter:** (grim, tone firm) Ma’am, if there’s evidence, it’s urgent. **Melanie:** (voice shaking in German) Das Bild... es zeigt viel zu viel. Ich... ich kann nicht— **Hunter:** (cutting in, frustrated) Look—(his phone rings loudly in his pocket, shrill tone) **Melanie:** (jumps slightly, eyes wide) **Hunter:** (sighs, pulls out the phone) Damn it. (to Melanie) Hold that thought. (answers phone) Carter. Yeah? (listens, expression darkening) On my way. (hangs up, turns to Melanie) Gotta run. Captain says we just found another one. **Melanie:** (clutching her camera tighter) Noch eine?! **Hunter:** (already backing away) Yeah. Listen—go back to wherever you’re stayin’. Lock your doors. Don’t go near the woods till I figure this out. And come find me first thing tomorrow. Understand? **Melanie:** (nods, though still visibly shaken) **Hunter:** (tips his hat curtly) Appreciate your help. (He strides off briskly, answering another call as he goes. Melanie remains at the table, staring after him, her hands trembling around her camera.) ---