Run: 2026-04-24-01KQ0A2K4N8MXC7G51Z6QZYWZP

# Scene: The Alborn Cafe *The afternoon sun filters through the front window of Alborn's only cafe, "The Copper Kettle." Maria sits alone at a corner table, her camera resting in her hands. She scrolls through her photographs, pausing occasionally. Detective Hunter approaches her table, coffee in hand, badge visible on his belt.* --- **Hunter:** "Excuse me, miss? I'm Detective Hunter. I'm investigating some incidents around town. You mind if I ask you a few questions?" **Maria:** *(startled, looking up)* "¿Perdón? No... no entiendo. Soy española, no hablo inglés." **Hunter:** *(pausing)* "...Right. Okay. Uh... questions? I just... questions. About town. The disappearances." *(He mimes two hands, then makes one "vanish" behind his back.)* **Maria:** *(confused, then alarmed at the gesture)* "¿Desapariciones? ¿Qué quieres decir? ¿Qué ha pasado aquí?" *(She clutches her camera tighter.)* **Hunter:** *(sighing, rubbing the back of his neck)* "Ma'am, I'm going to need you to— look, have you seen anything unusual? Anything at all?" **Maria:** *(shaking her head, pointing at herself)* "Estudio aquí. Fotografía. Paisajes." *(She holds up her camera and gestures outside.)* "Soy estudiante. España. España." *(She taps her chest.)* **Hunter:** "Spain. You're from Spain. Okay." *(He sits down across from her.)* "Look, I'm not trying to scare you. But people in this town have been going missing. I just need to know if you've noticed anything." **Maria:** *(leaning forward, speaking slowly, as if that might help)* "¿Personas... desaparecidas? ¿Aquí en Alborn?" *(Her eyes widen. She opens her camera and pulls up a photo — a shadowy figure at the edge of the treeline from a recent walk.)* "Yo... vi esto. Ayer. Cerca del bosque." **Hunter:** *(leaning in to look at the camera screen, squinting)* "What am I looking at here?" **Maria:** *(tapping the screen, pointing at the figure)* "¡Esto! ¡Una persona! O... no sé. No era normal. Estaba en los árboles. Me dio miedo." **Hunter:** "I... I don't understand the words, but—" *(He straightens up, studying the photo carefully.)* "Is that someone in the tree line?" **Maria:** *(nodding vigorously)* "¡Sí! ¡Sí! Sí, sí. Árboles. Persona. Ayer." *(She holds up one finger.)* "Una persona." **Hunter:** *(taking out his notepad, writing something down)* "Where was this? Can you—" *(He mimes taking a photo, then gestures around.)* "Where?" **Maria:** *(standing up, pointing out the window toward the north end of town)* "Allí. Cerca del... ¿cómo se dice? El campo. Las manzanas. The..." *(She struggles.)* "El festival. Apple festival. ¿Entiendes?" **Hunter:** "The apple orchard. Near the festival grounds." **Maria:** *(nodding again, her voice dropping, clearly shaken)* "Estaba asustada. No sé por qué, pero... sentí que algo estaba mal. Muy mal." *(She wraps her arms around herself.)* **Hunter:** *(watching her carefully, then nodding slowly)* "I don't know what you're saying, but... yeah. Something *is* wrong in this town." *(He rips a page from his notepad and writes down a phone number.)* "Here. If you see anything else, call this number. I'll get a translator." **Maria:** *(taking the paper, looking at it)* "¿Qué es esto?" **Hunter:** *(pointing to the paper, then to his ear, miming a phone call)* "Call. If you see something. Call." **Maria:** *(understanding, nodding)* "Sí. Okay. Entendido." --- *Hunter's phone buzzes. He glances at the screen and stands abruptly.* **Hunter:** "I gotta take this." *(He answers, turning away.)* "Hunter here. ...What? When? ...I'm on my way." *(He hangs up and looks back at Maria.)* "I have to go. Stay safe, miss." *(He tosses a few dollars on the table for his untouched coffee and heads for the door.)* **Maria:** *(calling after him, worried)* "¡Detective! ¡Ten cuidado!" --- *The bell above the cafe door jingles as Hunter disappears into the afternoon. Maria stares at the door for a long moment, then looks down at the photo on her camera again — the shadow between the trees. She shivers and closes the screen.*