Run: 2026-05-19-01KS0TRXAXS3ACMS0N1ZHQDJJK

**Scene: The Black Bear Cafe in Alborn, MN.** **Characters: Detective Hunter (ex-marine, investigating the disappearances) and Marie (French study abroad student, shaken, holding her DSLR camera).** *** *[Marie sits at a corner table, staring intently at the LCD screen of her camera. Her face is pale and her hands are visibly trembling. Hunter walks up to her table, his posture rigid and professional. He taps his badge pinned to his belt.]* Hunter: "Excuse me, ma'am. Detective Hunter. I'm investigating the disappearances here in Alborn. Mind if I ask you a few questions about where you were shooting photos yesterday afternoon?" *[Marie jumps, startled by his deep voice, and looks up with wide, terrified eyes.]* Marie: "Oh ! Bonjour... Excusez-moi, je... je ne vous ai pas entendu venir. Je... je ne comprends pas. Je ne parle pas anglais, monsieur. S'il vous plaît, dites-moi que vous parlez français ?" *[Hunter frowns, rubbing the back of his neck in frustration. He doesn't recognize a single word.]* Hunter: "French. Terrific. Look, ma'am, I don't speak a lick of French. No parley-voo. Let's try simple. Did you see anything unusual out near the old apple orchards yesterday? A young man, maybe?" *[Marie clutches her camera tighter to her chest, tears welling in her eyes as she tries to convey her terror through her gestures and voice.]* Marie: "J'avais si peur... J'étais dans les vergers pour prendre des photos du coucher de soleil. Les couleurs étaient magnifiques, et puis... j'ai entendu un cri. Un cri étouffé. J'ai vu une silhouette sombre traîner quelqu'un dans les bois !" *[Hunter raises a hand, trying to get her to slow down, entirely lost.]* Hunter: "Whoa, slow down, slow down. I don't understand what you're saying. 'Verger'? 'Bois'? Look, just look at this photo. Did you see this kid?" *[Hunter pulls a photograph of Ryan Vance—the missing local teen—from his pocket and slides it across the table. Marie looks at the picture and gasps, covering her mouth in shock.]* Marie: "Oui ! C'est lui ! Mon Dieu, c'est le garçon de la photo ! Mais l'autre homme était si grand, si rapide... Il l'a emmené vers les arbres au fond ! Il faut faire quelque chose, s'il vous plaît !" *[Hunter leans in closer, noticing her intense reaction and the way she is pointing at the photo.]* Hunter: "You recognize him? You saw him? Where? Point to where you saw him." *[Marie frantically taps her camera, trying to turn it on to show him, but her hands shake so violently she accidentally hits the wrong button, causing the screen to go dark.]* Marie: "Attendez... mon appareil... j'ai essayé de prendre une photo de l'homme, mais il faisait trop noir, et j'avais les mains qui tremblaient... Regardez, je vais essayer de retrouver l'image !" *[Hunter tries to peer at the dark screen, his brow furrowed in deep confusion as she fumbles with the buttons.]* Hunter: "Easy, easy. Don't break the damn thing. Just show me the picture. What did you capture on there?" *[Suddenly, Hunter’s cell phone blares a loud, sharp ringtone. He sighs, snaps the phone out of his pocket, and answers instantly.]* Hunter: "Hunter. ... What? Where? No, I'm at the cafe. ... A witness saw someone matching his description near the old barn on Route 4? Ten minutes ago? I'm on my way. Keep a perimeter." *[Hunter hangs up and stands, pointing a stern finger at Marie, then at the table to emphasize his point.]* Hunter: "Look, I have to go. Emergency. You—stay right here. Do not leave this cafe. Stay. Okay? Stay. I'll get the deputy to find a translator. Stay." *[Hunter turns on his heel and rushes boots-first out of the cafe, the bell above the door jingling loudly behind him.]* Marie: "Monsieur ! Attendez, ne partez pas seul ! L'homme... l'homme des bois, il est dangereux ! Oh mon Dieu, qu'est-ce que je dois faire ?"