Run: 2026-04-24-01KQ0AJ9CG03V17039JZ5BCM3N

# Alborn Cafe — Late Afternoon *Melanie sits alone at a corner table, her camera resting beside her coffee cup. She stares at the LCD screen, scrolling through photographs with a distant, troubled expression. A small bell chimes as DETECTIVE HUNTER enters the café, scanning the room before his eyes land on her. He approaches, pulling out a notepad.* **Hunter:** "Excuse me — miss? I'm Detective Hunter. I'm looking into some... incidents around town. Mind if I ask you a few questions?" *Melanie looks up, startled. She blinks at him, clutching her camera protectively.* **Melanie:** "Entschuldigung, ich spreche kein Englisch." **Hunter:** "...I'm sorry, what?" **Melanie:** "Ich verstehe Sie nicht. Was wollen Sie von mir?" *Hunter scratches the back of his neck, glancing around as if someone might help translate.* **Hunter:** "Okay... are you... German? Do you speak — uh — *Deutsch*?" *Melanie's eyes widen slightly, and she nods eagerly, relieved.* **Melanie:** "Ja! Ja, Deutsch! Sprechen Sie Deutsch?" *Hunter exhales slowly, pressing his lips together.* **Hunter:** "No. No, I don't. Not even a little bit." *He pulls out his phone and opens a translation app, holding it between them.* "Let's... try this." *Melanie leans forward and speaks carefully into the phone.* **Melanie:** "Ich habe gestern Abend etwas Seltsames gesehen. Jemand war im Wald — und dann war er weg. Einfach so." *The app stumbles, but Hunter catches fragments on screen. His expression sharpens.* **Hunter:** "You saw someone... disappear? In the woods? Last night?" *Melanie nods, her hands trembling slightly as she scrolls through her camera. She turns the screen toward him — a blurry photograph of a figure between the trees, half-obscured by shadow and fog.* **Melanie:** "Ich habe ein Foto gemacht. Sehen Sie? Dort — im Hintergrund. Das war... das war eine Person." *Hunter leans in, studying the image. His jaw tightens.* **Hunter:** "That's... someone, alright. Was this near the old apple orchard off County Road 9?" *Melanie tilts her head, not understanding. She points at the photo and then toward the window, gesturing north.* **Melanie:** "Dort hinten. Neben den alten Bäumen. Ich war dort, um die Landschaft zu fotografieren — und dann habe ich *das* gehört. Schreie." *The app translates roughly: "Back there. Old trees. Heard screams."* **Hunter:** "Screams." *He writes in his notepad, his voice low.* "Did you see who it was? Could you recognize anything about them?" *Melanie shakes her head, frustrated by the barrier between them. She wraps her arms around herself.* **Melanie:** "Es war zu dunkel. Ich habe nur für einen Moment etwas gesehen, und dann — Stille. Nur noch Stille." *Hunter reads the translation: "Too dark. Only a moment. Then silence." He nods slowly, his expression grim.* **Hunter:** "I need you to come to the station. We'll get a proper translator. Can you do that?" *Melanie looks at him, confused. Hunter mimes writing, then points to his badge.* **Hunter:** "Polizei. Station. Tomorrow?" *Melanie hesitates, then nods.* **Melanie:** "Ja. Morgen." *Suddenly, Hunter's phone buzzes. He glances at the screen, and his demeanor shifts — urgent, sharp.* **Hunter:** "I have to take this." *He holds up a finger, stepping away.* "Yeah — what do you have? ...Where? ...I'm on my way." *He turns back to Melanie, pocketing his notepad.* **Hunter:** "I'm sorry, I have to go. But stay away from those woods, you hear me? Don't go back there alone." *Melanie watches him, clutching her camera.* **Melanie:** "Was ist passiert? Ist noch jemand verschwunden?" *Hunter is already at the door. He looks back one last time.* **Hunter:** "Tomorrow. The station. Don't go into the woods." *The bell chimes as he disappears into the evening. Melanie stares at the photograph on her camera screen — the dark shape between the trees. Her reflection stares back at her, pale and afraid.* **Melanie:** "...Was passiert hier in dieser Stadt?"