Run: 2026-05-19-01KS0TMZ91535N9PT79A9DAE44

The autumn air in Alborn, Minnesota, smelled of damp earth and the sweet, fermenting scent of fallen apples from the nearby orchards. Outside the Cozy Cup Cafe, a colorful banner advertising the upcoming Annual Apple Festival fluttered in the chilly breeze. Inside, thirty-year-old Isabella sat at a corner table, wrapped in a thick wool scarf. Her hands, usually steady when holding her beloved DSLR camera, were trembling as she scrolled through her morning’s landscape shots. She looked pale, her dark eyes wide with a lingering dread. Detective Hunter entered the cafe, the bell above the door chiming softly. He adjusted his heavy jacket, his sharp eyes scanning the room. The former Marine-turned-detective was on edge; another local resident had vanished near the county line last night, and the town of three thousand was starting to panic. Recognizing Isabella as the foreign exchange student who was always out taking pictures, he walked over to her table, hoping she might have captured something useful on her lens. *** **Voice Sheet:** Hunter: "Excuse me, ma'am. Detective Hunter, Alborn PD. Mind if I sit down for a moment? I need to ask you about what you were doing near the old Miller farm yesterday evening." Isabella: "Oh! Mi scusi, mi ha spaventata... Io, ecco, non capisco. Non parlo l'inglese. No English, mi dispiace. Solo italiano." Hunter: "Italian. Terrific. Look, I don't speak a lick of Italian, miss. But we have a serious situation. A man went missing near where you were shooting photos. Did you see anyone out by the orchards? Anyone acting strange?" Isabella: "Il meleto? Sì, ieri ero là per fotografare i colori dell'autunno. Ma... ho visto qualcosa di spaventoso. C'era un uomo che gridava nel bosco ovest, e poi... un'ombra enorme lo ha inseguito. Sono scappata via, ho ancora il cuore che mi batte forte! Ho così paura." Hunter: "Whoa, easy. Slow down. I can tell you're shaken up, but I need you to work with me here. Did you see Marcus Vance? Tall guy, red flannel shirt? *Uomo*? Red *camicia*?" Isabella: "Non capisco cosa dice... ma guardi! Guardi qui nella macchina fotografica. Ho provato a fare uno scatto mentre scappavo. C'è una sagoma scura dietro la vecchia staccionata. Qualcosa non va in questo paese, la gente sparisce... c'è un pericolo là fuori!" Hunter: "I don't get the words, but you're clutching that camera like it’s a lifeline. Did you take a picture of something? *Foto*? Can I see the *foto*?" Isabella: "Sì, le foto! Ma non so se si vede bene, c'era troppa nebbia e la mia mano tremava. Ecco, guardi lo schermo. Chi è questa figura nera? Chi c'è nei boschi di Alborn?" Hunter: "Let me see that screen. That looks like... split-rail fencing, and is that a—" *(Hunter's smartphone suddenly buzzes loudly in his pocket, cutting him off. He pulls it out, sighs, and taps the screen.)* Hunter: "Hunter here. ... What? Where? The old creek bed? Don't touch anything, I'm on my way." Isabella: "Se n'è andato? Aspetti, non mi lasci qui da sola... ho paura che mi abbiano vista!" Hunter: "Look, I have to go. Duty calls. Emergency. *Partire*. But I need you to stay put, okay? Don't go back to those woods. I'll find someone in town who speaks Italian and we'll translate what you saw. Just... stay safe, alright?"