Run: 2026-05-10-01KR923FSYHVRBA1SHJ1JF47JX

The bell above the door of *The Apple Core Café* chimed, but Melanie didn’t look up. She was too focused on the small digital screen of her Nikon, scrolling through the shots she’d taken near the edge of the Alborn woods earlier that morning. The golden light of the Minnesota autumn had been perfect, but there was something in the shadows of the trees—a smudge of color that didn't belong—that made her stomach churn. She gripped the camera tighter, her knuckles turning white. A shadow fell over her table. She looked up, blinking against the sudden light, to see a man who looked like he had been carved out of granite. He wore a heavy canvas jacket and an expression that suggested he didn't have time for small talk. He looked less like a patron and more like a storm cloud. "Excuse me," the man said, his voice deep and authoritative. "I’m Detective Hunter. I noticed you were out near the north trailhead this morning. Did you see anything unusual? Anything out of place?" Melanie stared at him, her heart hammering against her ribs. The English words he was using were a blurred mess of sounds she couldn't quite grasp. Her mind raced back to the photo—the shape she had seen through her lens, the feeling of being watched. "Ich... ich habe etwas gesehen," she whispered, her voice trembling. "Es war am Waldrand. Es sah so falsch aus... als ob jemand dort nicht hingehört." Hunter frowned, leaning in slightly. He didn't move closer, but his presence seemed to fill the small space around the table. "I didn't catch that. Did you see a person? A vehicle?" Melanie shook her head, her eyes wide. "Es war kein Auto. Es war... es war düster. Ich habe Angst, dass ich etwas gesehen habe, das ich nicht hätte sehen sollen." Hunter’s brow furrowed deeper. He rubbed the back of his neck, a look of pure frustration crossing his face. "Look, Miss, I don't speak... whatever that is. German? Is it German? I need you to try and use English. Did you see anything near the trees?" Melanie felt a surge of panic. She wanted to explain that the stillness of the woods felt wrong, that the disappearance of the local baker felt connected to the strange shadow in her viewfinder, but the language barrier was a wall of glass between them. She pointed vaguely toward the window, toward the direction of the woods, and mimed a sense of dread with her hands. "Something... bad?" Hunter guessed, trying to bridge the gap. "Something suspicious?" Melanie nodded vigorously, her eyes brimming with tears. "Ja. Sehr gefährlich. Bitte, gehen Sie nicht dorthin." Hunter sighed, his no-nonsense exterior softening just a fraction into pity. "I wish I knew what you were saying, but I've got a feeling you're trying to tell me something important. Just... stay in town, alright? Don't go wandering off alone." Before he could say more, a sharp, insistent ringing broke the tension. Hunter reached into his pocket and pulled out a ruggedized phone. He glanced at the caller ID and his expression instantly hardened back into his professional mask. "I have to go," he said, nodding curtly to her. "Stay safe." He turned and strode out of the café, leaving Melanie alone with her camera and a heavy, unspoken terror. *** **Voice Sheet** Melanie: "Ich... ich habe etwas gesehen. Es war am Waldrand. Es sah so falsch aus... als ob jemand dort nicht hingehört." Hunter: "I didn't catch that. Did you see a person? A vehicle?" Melanie: "Es war kein Auto. Es war... es war düster. Ich habe Angst, dass ich etwas gesehen habe, das ich nicht hätte sehen sollen." Hunter: "Look, Miss, I don't speak... whatever that is. German? Is it German? I need you to try and use English. Did you see anything near the trees?" Melanie: "Ja. Sehr gefährlich. Bitte, gehen Sie nicht dorthin." Hunter: "Something... bad? Something suspicious?" Hunter: "I wish I knew what you were saying, but I've got a feeling you're trying to tell me something important. Just... stay in town, alright? Don't go wandering off alone. I have to go."