Run: 2026-03-18-01KM1GPRDVBVXDFDTNV49A41K1

**Scene: A small café in Alborn, MN. Afternoon. Marie sits alone at a corner table, reviewing photos on her camera with a worried expression. Hunter enters, scans the room, and approaches her table.** --- **Hunter:** *(polite but direct)* Excuse me. Mind if I sit? I'm trying to talk to people about what happened last Tuesday. **Marie:** *(looks up, startled, then relieved someone is speaking to her)* Oh—oui, bien sûr. Please, sit. **Hunter:** *(sits, confused)* Sorry, what? **Marie:** *(gestures to the empty chair)* Um... yes? You sit. Yes? **Hunter:** *(nods slowly)* Right. Thanks. I'm Detective Hunter. I'm looking into the... *(makes a vague gesture, hoping she'll understand)* ...the thing. **Marie:** *(eyes widen)* Vous enquêtez sur les disparitions ? *(You are investigating the disappearances?)* **Hunter:** *(blank stare)* I'm sorry, I don't— **Marie:** *(frustrated, speaks slowly in accented English)* Dis-ap-pear-ances. People... missing. Yes? **Hunter:** *(relieved)* Yes. Exactly. You know something about it? **Marie:** *(nods eagerly)* Yes. I see something. Tuesday night. By the orchard. **Hunter:** *(leans forward)* By the orchard? What did you see? **Marie:** *(struggling for words)* I take pictures. Always. And I... *(makes a taking-photo gesture)* ...click. Click. Then I hear— *(she makes a low humming sound)* ...voiture. Car. Car come. Then... *(she makes a dragging motion with her arms)* ...nothing. **Hunter:** *(writing in a notebook)* You heard a car, then nothing? **Marie:** *(shaking her head)* Non—then I see. *(she pulls out her camera and flips through photos)* Here. Look. This is Tuesday. Ten-thirty p.m. **Hunter:** *(takes the camera, squints at the screen)* I see a field. And... is that a fence? **Marie:** *(points urgently)* Yes! The fence—it is broken. New break. And here— *(she zooms in)* —traces. In the dirt. **Hunter:** *(grabs the camera, studying it intently)* Tire tracks. Good ones. Someone drove through here recently. **Marie:** *(nods, her voice trembling)* And I feel... I feel someone watch me. When I take picture. **Hunter:** *(looks up sharply)* Someone was there with you? **Marie:** *(wraps arms around herself)* I don't know. But when I leave... I hear... *(she imitates a low, mournful sound)* ...comme unSoupir. A sigh. Like someone is... sad. **Hunter:** *(pauses, his expression softening slightly)* That must have been terrifying. **Marie:** *(shrugs, looking down)* I am fine. But these people... the missing ones... *(she looks at him seriously)* ...I have bad feeling. Very bad. **Hunter:** *(nods slowly)* I'll check out that orchard tonight. **Marie:** *(grabs his arm gently)* Be careful. I think... I think someone does not want to be found. **Hunter:** *(stands, pockets the camera temporarily)* I'm a former Marine. I've had worse nights. *(His phone buzzes. He checks it, frowns.)* **Hunter:** I have to go. This is my card if you remember anything else. *(He slides a business card onto the table, then mimes writing)* And... thank you. For the photo. **Marie:** *(pockets the card)* You're welcome. Be safe, Detective. **Hunter:** *(nods, heads for the door)* **Marie:** *(quietly, to herself)* Bonne chance. *(Good luck.)* --- **END SCENE**