Run: 2026-05-10-01KR91G3ZFFVDFQNQS76PQ2R4Z

The late autumn air in Alborn, Minnesota, smelled distinctly of pressed cider and damp earth. Inside the town’s only café, the afternoon light caught the silver casing of Marie’s Nikon. She sat at a corner table, her brow furrowed as she scrolled through a series of blurry, high-contrast photos she had taken near the apple orchard at dusk. A shadow fell over her table. She looked up to see a man in a rumpled corduroy jacket, his broad shoulders and steady, scanning gaze marking him as someone—or something—entirely out of place in such a sleepy town. Hunter pulled out a chair, his movements deliberate. He didn't want to alarm the girl, but his badge felt heavy in his pocket, a reminder of the two people who hadn't come home from the harvest festival. *** **Voice Sheet** **Hunter:** "Excuse me, miss. I’m Detective Hunter. I saw you near the orchard yesterday evening. You were taking photographs right around the time the last person went missing. Did you happen to see anyone else back in those woods?" **Marie:** *[Her eyes widen, her hand trembling slightly as she grips her camera strap, her voice tight and rapid]* "Oh mon Dieu... c’était horrible. Je ne comprenais pas ce que je voyais. Une silhouette... elle ne semblait pas humaine. Tout est allé si vite, je n’ai pas pu faire la mise au point. J’ai essayé de regarder, mais mes mains tremblaient trop !" **Hunter:** *[He frowns, leaning forward, his brow creasing in frustration]* "Whoa, slow down. I'm sorry, I don't follow. French, right? You’re the student from the exchange program? Look, I need to know if you saw a suspect. Did someone approach you?" **Marie:** *[She shakes her head frantically, pointing at the digital display on her camera, tears welling in her eyes]* "Regardez ! Regardez le reflet dans l'arbre ! Ce n'était pas une personne, monsieur. C'était comme si l'ombre elle-même se déplaçait. J'ai eu si peur. Je veux juste rentrer chez moi." **Hunter:** *[He sighs, rubbing the back of his neck, his marine-trained patience wearing thin]* "I'm not getting a single word of this. Is there anyone in town who can translate? Or maybe... look, sign language? Anything? I need to know if you're in danger." **Marie:** *[She clutches her camera to her chest, her expression shifting from fear to an exasperated, helpless sadness]* "Vous ne comprenez rien. Personne n'écoute. Le silence ici est dangereux, vous ne voyez pas ?" **Hunter:** *[His phone buzzed sharply on the table, cutting off the conversation. He glanced at the screen, his expression hardening as he stood up]* "Duty calls. Look, stay put. I’ll be back with someone who can bridge the gap, but do not go back to that orchard. Do you understand? No orchard!" **Marie:** *[Softly, staring at her screen]* "Il n'y a nulle part où se cacher." **Hunter:** *[He turned and strode toward the door, already barking orders into his radio]* "Yeah. I have to roll—we’ve got another lead on the north side of the tracks. Don't leave town."