Run: 2026-05-10-01KR92JHXJVZ9GFC9BWBYGJ6YC

The morning air in Alborn, Minnesota, carried the crisp, sharp scent of impending frost and overripe orchard apples. Inside the local café, steam rose from porcelain mugs, but the cozy atmosphere was lost on Marie. She sat by the window, her fingers trembling slightly as she toggled through the high-resolution images on her camera’s LCD screen. She zoomed in on a frame of the Town Square—a blurry, shadowed figure caught in the periphery of a fountain performance. The chair opposite her scraped against the floorboards. Marie jumped, clutching her camera to her chest. Standing there was a man who looked like he belonged on a military poster rather than in a quiet town café. Hunter leaned in, his heavy coat radiating the chill of the outdoors. *** **Voice Sheet** **Hunter:** "Ma’am. I’m Detective Hunter. I’m looking into what happened at the apple festival last night. You were seen near the north stage around ten o’clock. Did you see anyone acting out of the ordinary?" **Marie:** "Oh mon Dieu... c’était horrible. Je ne peux pas... ce n’était pas une personne, monsieur. L’ombre... elle a bougé si vite, comme de la fumée. Je voulais juste prendre une photo du feu d'artifice, mais tout est devenu si sombre. Mes mains tremblent encore, je n’arrive pas à arrêter de voir ce visage..." **Hunter:** "Slow down. I’m not following any of that. Look, miss, did you see a suspect? A man, maybe? Dark jacket? I need to know if you saw someone leave the grounds." **Marie:** "Vous ne comprenez pas ! Ce n’est pas une question d’homme ou de veste. Regardez ! Regardez l’écran !" *(Marie thrusts the camera toward him, pointing frantically at the blurred, distorted shape on the display.)* "C’était là. Ça a disparu en un clin d’œil. Personne ne me croit, mais c’était là !" **Hunter:** *(Squinting at the camera, then rubbing his temples in frustration)* "It’s just a blur. Glare from the light, probably. Look, I speak English—do you have anything for me, or are you just going to show me blurred photos of light streaks?" **Marie:** "Ce n’est pas un reflet ! C’est impossible... Pourquoi personne ne comprend ? Je veux juste rentrer chez moi. Ce pays, cette ville... tout est devenu terrifiant." **Hunter:** *(His cell phone buzzes loudly on the table. He glances at the screen, his jaw tightening into a hard line.)* "Damn it. Dispatch just found another lead over at the fairgrounds. Listen, stay here. Do not leave town. I’m going to need those files later." **Marie:** "Attendez ! Monsieur, s'il vous plaît... Je ne peux pas rester seule ! Monsieur ?" **Hunter:** *(Already pushing off the chair and striding toward the door without a backward glance)* "Keep the camera ready. We’ll talk when I get back."