Run: 2026-05-10-01KR90EFYYWJ36SZ44Y2V808WB

The morning mist still clung to the cobblestone streets of Alborn, MN, as Melanie sat at a corner table of *The Apple Core Café*. The scent of cinnamon and roasted coffee beans filled the air, but it did little to soothe her nerves. She stared intensely at the digital display of her Nikon, scrolling through the photos she had taken near the edge of the woods the night before. Every shadow in the background of her landscapes looked like a silhouette; every rustle of the wind sounded like a footstep. Hunter approached the table, his heavy boots thudding rhythmically against the wooden floor. He looked like a man who hadn't slept in forty-eight hours—dark circles under his eyes and a jawline set in granite. He pulled out the chair opposite her without asking. "Excuse me," Hunter said, his voice a low, gravelly rasp. "I saw you out by the north trail yesterday. You're the photographer, right? I'm Detective Hunter. I had a few questions about what you might have seen near the old orchard. Any unusual activity?" Melanie looked up, her eyes wide and glassy. She gripped her camera so tightly her knuckles turned white. She tried to find the English words, but her mind was a frantic blur of panic. "Ich... ich habe etwas gesehen," she whispered, her voice trembling. "Es war schrecklich. Es war nicht normal. Die Schatten... sie haben sich bewegt, als ob sie lebendig wären. Ich habe solche Angst, dass ich nicht mehr nach draußen gehen kann." Hunter blinked, his brow furrowing into a deep V. He leaned forward slightly, his no-nonsense expression shifting into one of pure bewilderment. He waited for a beat, then a second, realizing the silence wasn't just hesitation—it was a total barrier. "I'm sorry," Hunter said, his tone softening just a fraction, though his eyes remained sharp. "I don't speak... whatever that was. German? I don't know a word of it. Do you speak English? Can you tell me if you saw anyone near the clearing?" Melanie shook her head frantically, a stray blonde lock falling over her face. "Mein Englisch ist nicht gut. Ich verstehe nicht, was Sie wollen. Bitte, lassen Sie mich einfach in Ruhe. Alles hier ist so seltsam." Hunter sighed, rubbing the bridge of his nose. He wasn't good with people who couldn't give him straight answers, and he certainly wasn't good with language barriers. "Look, kid, I don't mean to intimidate you. But people are going missing in this town, and if you saw something through that lens of yours, it could be important. Just... try to point? Or show me?" Melanie gestured vaguely toward her camera, her hands shaking. She wanted to show him the photo of the distorted shadow, but she was too terrified that if she showed him, he would realize just how much danger she was truly in. They sat in an awkward, tense silence for a moment—the detective searching for clues in her eyes, and the student searching for a way to explain the impossible. Suddenly, the sharp, aggressive ring of a cell phone cut through the tension. Hunter pulled his phone from his belt, glanced at the caller ID, and his posture immediately snapped back into a rigid, professional stance. "Duty calls," he muttered, more to himself than to her. He stood up, the chair scraping loudly against the floor. "I'm sorry we couldn't... communicate. If you remember any English words, or if you find something on that camera, find the station. Don't go wandering near the woods alone." He turned and strode out of the café without a backward glance, leaving Melanie alone with her camera and the terrifying images of a town that no longer felt safe. *** **Voice Sheet** Melanie: "Ich... ich habe etwas gesehen. Es war schrecklich. Es war nicht normal. Die Schatten... sie haben sich bewegt, als ob sie lebendig wären. Ich habe solche Angst, dass ich nicht mehr nach draußen gehen kann." Hunter: "I'm sorry. I don't speak... whatever that was. German? I don't know a word of it. Do you speak English? Can you tell me if you saw anyone near the clearing?" Melanie: "Mein Englisch ist nicht gut. Ich verstehe nicht, was Sie wollen. Bitte, lassen Sie mich einfach in Ruhe. Alles hier ist so seltsam." Hunter: "Look, kid, I don't mean to intimidate you. But people are going missing in this town, and if you saw something through that lens of yours, it could be important. Just... try to point? Or show me?" Hunter: "Duty calls. I'm sorry we couldn't... communicate. If you remember any English words, or if you find something on that camera, find the station. Don't go wandering near the woods alone."