Run: 2026-03-18-01KM1GP317G2S22SPZR8KYMDR0

**SCENE — CAFE, ALBORN, MN — AFTERNOON** *Selvi sits at a corner table, turning her camera over in her hands. She stares at the screen, her expression distant and troubled. Hunter approaches, scanning the room before landing on her.* **HUNTER:** *(stopping at her table)* Excuse me. Mind if I sit? *Selvi looks up, startled. She nods slowly, gesturing to the empty chair across from her.* **HUNTER:** *(settling in)* I'm Detective Hunter. Local police. I'm trying to talk to people about what happened at the apple orchard last Tuesday. You were there, right? I saw you taking pictures. *Selvi's face shifts. Her grip tightens on the camera. She speaks slowly, her voice unsteady.* **SELVI:** *(in Hindi)* Haan, main wahaan thi. Lekin kuch galat ho gaya. Main sab kuch dekh rahi thi... aur phir wo awaaz... jaise koi chilla raha tha. Mujhe ab tak yaad hai. **HUNTER:** *(brow furrowing)* I'm sorry... I don't... *(he taps the table, searching for words)* ...No English? *Selvi shakes her head. Her eyes are wide and troubled.* **SELVI:** *(in Hindi)* Nahin. Main samjha nahin. Aap kya keh rahe hain? **HUNTER:** *(leaning back, exhaling through his nose)* Okay. Okay. This is going nowhere fast. *He pulls out a small notepad, flips it open, and sketches a rough drawing — a tree, a figure, a question mark. He slides it across the table.* **HUNTER:** *(pointing at the sketch, speaking slowly and deliberately)* Last Tuesday. At the orchard. You saw something? *Selvi looks at the sketch. She picks up her camera, scrolls through her photos, and turns the screen toward Hunter. Her hand is trembling.* **SELVI:** *(in Hindi)* Yeh dekho. Yeh wahi jagah hai. Jahan sab kuch shuru hua. Mainne chhoot diya tha camera. Mujhe laga koi aawaz thi — bahut door se. Jaise koi dukhi hua tha. **HUNTER:** *(studying the photo intensely, then looking up at her face)* You saw someone? Someone missing? *Selvi presses her lips together. She nods firmly.* **SELVI:** *(in Hindi)* Haan. Ek aurat. Uska chehra... bahut dara hua tha. Voh bhaag rahi thi kisi se. Main samjha, voh kisi ko bhookh raha tha. Bahut bhayankar. **HUNTER:** *(frustrated, rubbing his jaw)* Bhookh. I don't — *(pauses, thinking)* Bhookh... hungry? *(his eyes widen)* Were you saying someone was hungry? Like... hunting? *Selvi's eyes go wide. She grabs her camera strap, clutching it.* **SELVI:** *(in Hindi, voice rising slightly)* Jee haan! Khaali. Udhas. Jaise jaanwar. Jaise koi insan nahin tha. **HUNTER:** *(standing now, holding up a hand)* Okay, okay. I think I get enough. Hold on — *(he pulls out his phone and opens a translation app, typing quickly)* *He shows her the screen: "Were you afraid?"* *Selvi reads it and nods rapidly, clutching her chest.* **SELVI:** *(in Hindi)* Bahut. Maine kabhi aisa kuch nahin dekha. Yeh jagah... yeh galat hai, Detective. Yeh jagah bahut galat hai. **HUNTER:** *(reading the Hindi on his own screen — it translates to something like: "This place is very wrong." He pauses, his jaw tight.)* **HUNTER:** *(quietly)* Yeah. I know. *He sits back down slowly. For a long moment, neither of them speaks. Hunter folds his hands on the table. Selvi sets her camera down.* **HUNTER:** *(slowly, gesturing between himself and her)* We can't really talk, can we? *Selvi shakes her head softly. A sad, tired smile crosses her face.* **SELVI:** *(in Hindi)* Bahut mushkil hai. Par main aapki madad karna chahti hoon. Jo mainne dekha... usse koi jaankari chahiye. Kisi ko bhi. **HUNTER:** *(after a pause)* I believe you. *He reaches into his jacket and pulls out a business card. He slides it across the table and taps it twice.* **HUNTER:** My number. On the card. You see anything else — you call me, okay? Even if you can't explain it. I'll figure it out. *Selvi picks up the card. She holds it carefully, then tucks it into her jacket pocket. She speaks quietly.* **SELVI:** *(in Hindi)* Main phone rakh loongi. Aap bulao jab aapko zaroorat ho. Main aapke liye wait karungi. **HUNTER:** Thank you. I appreciate it. *Selvi nods. She picks up her camera again, holding it close.* *Hunter's phone suddenly buzzes loudly on the table. He glances at the screen. His expression hardens.* **HUNTER:** *(standing abruptly)* I have to take this. *He steps away from the table, pressing the phone to his ear as he walks toward the door.* **HUNTER:** *(into phone)* Yeah, it's me. What is it? *He pauses, listening. His face goes cold.* **HUNTER:** Another one? *(a beat)* Where? *Selvi watches him from the table, her camera now resting in her lap. She hugs it tightly. Hunter hangs up the phone and turns back toward Selvi, but he's already moving — heading for the exit.* **HUNTER:** *(calling back over his shoulder as he pushes through the door)* Stay safe. And if you remember anything else — call me. *The door swings shut behind him. Selvi sits alone at the table, staring at the empty chair across from her. She looks down at her camera, then out the window at the gray afternoon sky over Alborn. She clutches the camera tighter and whispers something under her breath in Hindi — soft, prayerlike.* *FADE OUT.* **END SCENE.**