Run: 2026-05-10-01KR90QN7CZZ6V7M6VB8QQ0XV3

The bell above the door of The Apple Core Cafe chimed, but Marie didn’t look up. She was lost in the digital glow of her camera screen, scrolling through the jagged, misty silhouettes of the pine trees she had captured near the lake that morning. Her fingers trembled slightly as she tapped the playback button. The light in Alborn was beautiful, but the atmosphere felt heavy, as if the fog were hiding more than just the trees. A shadow fell over her table. She looked up, blinking against the sudden intrusion of light, to see a man with shoulders like a granite slab and eyes that seemed to be scanning the room for threats even as he approached. He looked like a man who had seen too much and slept too little. Hunter pulled out the chair opposite her without asking. He didn't look like the type of person who waited for invitations. "Excuse me," Hunter said, his voice a low, gravelly rumble. "I noticed you were out by the ridge earlier. You're the student staying at the B&B, right? I'm Detective Hunter." Marie stared at him, her brow furrowing. She understood the cadence of his voice—the stern, rhythmic weight of it—but the words were a tangled thicket of sounds she couldn't navigate. She felt a lump form in her throat, the memory of the screaming she had heard near the orchard flashing behind her eyes. "Je... je ne comprends pas," she whispered, her voice shaking. "C'était horrible. J'ai vu quelque chose près des vergers... une ombre, je crois. J'ai encore peur de sortir seule." Hunter froze. He stared at her, his expression shifting from professional curiosity to blank bewilderment. He waited a beat, as if she might repeat it in a language he actually possessed. "I'm sorry," he said, leaning in slightly. "I don't speak... whatever that was. Do you speak English? Can you tell me if you saw anyone near the festival grounds last night?" Marie shook her head, a stray lock of hair falling over her eyes. "Je suis désolée. Je ne parle pas anglais. Est-ce que tout va bien ici? Pourquoi tout le monde semble si inquiet?" Hunter sighed, rubbing the bridge of his nose. He hated being in the dark, especially when the dark was where the disappearances happened. He tried to use gestures, pointing toward the window, then toward the town square, trying to communicate 'trouble' or 'people missing.' Marie watched his hands, her eyes wide and glassy. She could tell he was looking for information, but his intensity only heightened her anxiety. She gestured vaguely toward her camera, then toward the dark woods visible through the cafe window, her expression one of pure, unadulterated dread. "Look, I don't mean to pester you," Hunter said, his tone softening just a fraction, though his posture remained rigid. "But if you saw anything suspicious while you were taking your pictures—anything at all—I need to know. Even if it's just a person out of place." Marie leaned back, clutching her camera to her chest like a shield. "Vous me parlez comme si j'étais une suspecte. Je suis juste une étudiante. Je veux juste prendre des photos et rentrer chez moi en sécurité." Before Hunter could attempt another round of frantic charades, his phone erupted in his pocket. He pulled it out, his eyes hardening instantly as he read the caller ID. "I have to go," he said, standing abruptly. He gave her a curt, apologetic nod—the closest thing to an apology a man like him could offer. "Stay safe. Lock your doors." He turned and strode out of the cafe, leaving Marie alone with her camera and the echoing silence of a town that felt increasingly like a trap. *** **Voice Sheet** **Hunter:** "Excuse me. I noticed you were out by the ridge earlier. You're the student staying at the B&B, right? I'm Detective Hunter." **Marie:** "Je... je ne comprends pas. C'était horrible. J'ai vu quelque chose près des vergers... une ombre, je crois. J'ai encore peur de sortir seule." **Hunter:** "I'm sorry. I don't speak... whatever that was. Do you speak English? Can you tell me if you saw anyone near the festival grounds last night?" **Marie:** "Je suis désolée. Je ne parle pas anglais. Est-ce que tout va bien ici? Pourquoi tout le monde semble si inquiet?" **Hunter:** "Look, I don't mean to pester you. But if you saw anything suspicious while you were taking your pictures—anything at all—I need to know. Even if it's just a person out of place." **Marie:** "Vous me parlez comme si j'étais une suspecte. Je suis juste une étudiante. Je veux juste prendre des photos et rentrer chez moi en sécurité." **Hunter:** "I have to go. Stay safe. Lock your doors."