Run: 2026-05-10-01KR8ZNCMXGZ4G464M7X0G9WRC

The mid-morning air in Alborn smelled faintly of woodsmoke and the lingering sweetness of the town’s famous apple orchards. At a corner table in the ‘Main Street Grind,’ Melanie sat huddled over her camera, her brow furrowed as she scrolled through the digital playback on her LCD screen. Hunter stepped into the cafe, his boots echoing against the floorboards. He looked like a man who hadn’t slept in forty-eight hours, his coat dusted with the dry debris of the local woods. He stopped at her table, his shadow falling across her lap. Melanie startled, instinctually clutching her camera to her chest. *** **Voice Sheet** **Hunter:** "Excuse me, miss. I’m Detective Hunter. I’ve been canvassing the area regarding the missing persons cases. I saw you filming near the north orchard yesterday morning. Did you happen to see anything out of the ordinary? Maybe a strange vehicle or someone lingering near the treeline?" **Melanie:** *(Her eyes widen, breath hitching as she looks up at him. She speaks rapidly, her voice trembling)* "Oh mein Gott... ich habe es gesehen. Es war so furchteinflößend! Ein schwarzer Schatten, er hat sich bewegt, als wäre er nicht aus Fleisch und Blut. Mein Herz rast noch immer, wenn ich daran denke. Warum hilft niemand? Warum verschwinden die Menschen einfach so?" **Hunter:** *(He frowns, leaning back slightly, hands on his hips. He rubs the back of his neck, his confusion evident)* "...Look, I’m sorry, I have absolutely no idea what you’re saying. Is that... German? You’re the exchange student the registrar mentioned, right? Melanie?" **Melanie:** *(She gestures frantically to her camera, tapping the display screen where a blurry, dark image is captured)* "Schauen Sie! Das Bild! Es ist dort festgehalten! Es ist kein Spiel, es ist real. Bitte, Sie müssen mich verstehen. Es ist nicht sicher hier, das wissen Sie doch!" **Hunter:** *(He leans in, squinting at the camera screen, but only seeing a dark, pixelated smudge. He sighs, frustration etched into his sharp features)* "I’m not getting through here, am I? Look, I don't speak a word of that. Can you point to anything? A location? A time?" **Melanie:** *(She slumps back in her chair, tears pricking her eyes as she realizes the communication barrier is absolute. She shakes her head slowly, looking defeated)* "Es hat keinen Sinn. Sie verstehen mich nicht. Niemand versteht das Grauen, das in diesem Wald lebt." **Hunter:** *(His cell phone vibrates violently against his hip. He glances at the screen, his expression hardening into a familiar, grim mask of duty. He taps the screen to answer)* "Yeah? Hunter here. ...What? Where? I’m on my way." *(He snaps the phone shut and looks back to Melanie)* "I’m sorry, Melanie. Another call just came in. Stay close to the town center, alright? Don't go back to the orchards alone."