Run: 2026-05-10-01KR8WRVKSTDS7KDY2Q84EVQHP

The bell above the door of *The Apple Core Café* gave a cheerful jingle, a sound that felt jarringly out of place to Maria. She sat in the corner booth, the steam from her untouched chamomile tea curling into the air. Her fingers trembled slightly as she scrolled through the digital display of her camera, looking at the shots she’d taken near the old orchard earlier that afternoon. There was something in the shadows of the trees—something that felt wrong, something that didn't belong in a town as quiet as Alborn. Hunter stepped into the cafe, his heavy boots thudding against the polished wood floor. He looked like a man who was constantly scanning for exits, his eyes sharp and weary. He had been in Alborn for three weeks, and the lack of answers regarding the missing locals was starting to wear on his nerves. He spotted the woman with the camera—she looked out of place, a splash of Mediterranean warmth in a town currently draped in autumn gray. He approached her table, his shadow falling over her lens. *** **Voice Sheet** **Hunter:** "Excuse me. Miss? I don't mean to interrupt your afternoon, but I'm Detective Hunter with the local precinct. I noticed you were out near the north ridge earlier. Did you see anything unusual near the old mill around sunset?" **Maria:** "No entiendo... lo siento, no hablo inglés. Por favor, no me asuste, solo estaba tomando fotos." **Hunter:** "Right. Sorry. Language barrier. Look, I'll try to make this simple. Did you see... anyone? Someone walking near the trees? A person in trouble?" **Maria:** "¡Es que es terrible! Había algo allí... una sombra, algo que no era humano. No puedo dejar de pensar en ello. Me siento muy mal, como si alguien me estuviera observando desde los árboles." **Hunter:** (Pausing, brow furrowed) "I'm sorry, I didn't catch a word of that. You sound... distressed. Are you okay? Are you feeling alright?" **Maria:** (Eyes widening, gesturing vaguely toward the window) "¡No puedo explicarlo! Todo en este pueblo es tan extraño. La gente desaparece y nadie dice nada. Tengo miedo de que me pase lo mismo." **Hunter:** (Sighing heavily, rubbing the back of his neck) "I can tell you're upset, but I can't help you if I don't know what's wrong. If you see something, if you find something on those memory cards of yours... please, find someone at the station. Can you do that?" **Maria:** (Shaking her head slowly, her voice dropping to a whisper) "No sé si alguien me escuchará." *(Suddenly, the sharp, aggressive ring of a cell phone cuts through the tension. Hunter pulls the device from his belt, glancing at the caller ID. His expression shifts instantly from confusion to grim professional focus.)* **Hunter:** "I have to go. Duty calls. Stay safe, okay?" **Maria:** "Adiós..."