Run: 2026-05-10-01KR92T4N9PDRYF7W6C28S4A4W

The late afternoon light filtered through the dusty windows of the Alborn Café, casting long shadows over the half-empty baskets of Honeycrisp apples on the counter. Melanie sat by the window, her lens hood clicking softly as she scrolled through the photos she’d taken earlier that morning down by the festival grounds. Hunter pushed open the cafe door, the small bell jingling overhead. He looked tired, his brow furrowed as he scanned the room before locking eyes with the young woman. He pulled out the creaky chair opposite her and took a seat, his presence heavy and deliberate. *** **Voice Sheet** **Hunter:** "Excuse me, Miss? I’m Detective Hunter. I’ve been asking around about the festival site this morning. You were down by the harvest barn around ten, right? I saw you with your camera there. Did you happen to see anyone near the loading docks before the ruckus started?" **Melanie:** *(Her hands tremble slightly as she clutches her camera, her eyes wide and wet with unshed tears.)* "Oh Gott, es war furchtbar… ich habe diese Schatten gesehen, diese... diese Gestalten zwischen den Apfelkisten! Niemand hat mir zugehört, es ging alles so schnell. Warum hilft denn niemand? Es ist... es ist einfach verschwunden!" **Hunter:** *(He frowns, leaning forward and resting his elbows on the table, looking utterly bewildered.)* "I... look, slow down. I don’t follow you. Are you saying you saw someone? Was it the guy in the red jacket, or were you looking at the trucks?" **Melanie:** "(Shaking her head violently, her voice rising in distress) "Nein, nein! Keine Lastwagen! Es war ein Geräusch, wie ein Flüstern. Ich habe versucht, ein Foto zu machen, aber die Linse war plötzlich beschlagen, als wäre es eiskalt mitten im Sommer! Glauben Sie mir doch, ich habe es gesehen!" **Hunter:** *(He rubs his face with a calloused palm, his frustration mounting.)* "I’m sorry, I have absolutely no clue what you’re saying. 'Cold'? 'Whispers'? Look, take a breath. Is there anyone around here—a friend, perhaps—who can translate for us? You’re clearly shaken up, but I need facts, not... whatever language that is." **Melanie:** *(She wipes her eyes, her hand trembling as she pushes her camera toward him, showing him a blurry, underexposed image of distorted light.)* "Sehen Sie! Sehen Sie es sich doch an! Ich bin nicht verrückt! Bitte, verstehen Sie mich doch endlich!" **Hunter:** *(He peers at the camera screen, squinting at the blur, but before he can respond, his radio crackles sharply on his belt.)* "Hunter here. ...What? Again? Alright, stay put, I’m on my way." *(He stands up abruptly, frustrated by the lack of progress.)* "Look, I have to go. Something else just went sideways down at the mill. Stay here, okay? Don't go wandering off. We’ll try this again later." **Melanie:** "(Whispering, watching him walk away) "Sie verstehen es einfach nicht... keiner von ihnen versteht es."