Run: 2026-05-20-01KS25R93HE4QNZPKAECB88SRX

The morning sun filtered through the turning maple leaves of Alborn, Minnesota, casting a warm glow over the patio of the Apple Blossom Café. Maria sat at a corner table, her thumbs anxiously scrolling through the digital viewfinder of her DSLR camera. Her brow was furrowed, her usual bright expression clouded with concern. Hunter closed his notebook, his heavy boots thudding against the wooden deck as he approached her table. His jaw was set in its usual hard line; the investigation into the town's disappearing residents was stalling, and he was running out of leads. He pulled out the chair opposite her, his tall, broad frame casting a long shadow over her table. *** Hunter: "Excuse me, ma'am. I'm Detective Hunter. I was hoping I could ask you a few questions. Did you happen to be taking photos near the old orchard trail yesterday evening around dusk?" Maria: "¡Oh! Hola... Lo siento, no entiendo. No hablo inglés. ¿Pasa algo malo?" Hunter: "Uh... right. Okay. Look, I just need to know if you saw anything unusual. A man went missing near the orchard. Big guy, flannel shirt. Did you see him? Did your camera catch anything?" Maria: "El bosque... fue horrible. Yo solo quería tomar fotos del atardecer, pero escuché algo. Había un ruido extraño, como si alguien estuviera corriendo desesperado. Y luego... un grito. Un grito que se cortó de golpe. Tengo mucho miedo, no he podido dormir." Hunter: "Whoa, slow down. I don't... *habla*... any of that. Look at my badge. I'm a cop. Detective. Did you see someone? *Alguien?*" Maria: "¡Sí, la policía! Mire, por favor, tiene que creerme. La gente de aquí actúa como si nada pasara, pero algo malo hay en este pueblo. Las fotos... hay sombras en las fotos que no deberían estar ahí. Algo se lo llevó. ¡Se lo llevó muy rápido!" Hunter: "Is that... are you showing me your camera? Let me see. Show me the pictures. *Fotos?*" Maria: "No, no me atrevo a mirar esa foto otra vez, me da escalofríos. Pero mire la pantalla... justo ahí, entre los árboles. ¿Ve esa silueta? No es un animal. No es humano. Alborn no es un lugar seguro." Hunter: "I have no idea what you're saying, kid, but you look like you've seen a ghost. Are you okay? Do you need water? *Agua?*" Maria: "Por favor, oficial, no me deje sola con esto. No conozco a nadie aquí y nadie me entiende. Algo terrible está pasando en Alborn." *(Hunter’s phone suddenly buzzes loudly in his pocket, cutting through the tense silence. He pulls it out and glances at the screen. He sighs, his no-nonsense demeanor returning as he stands up.)* Hunter: "Hold that thought. I have to take this. Hunter here... What? Another one? Where? On my way." Maria: "¿Se va? No, por favor, espere. ¿Qué pasa con lo que hay en el bosque?" Hunter: "Look, I have to go. Duty calls. Just... stay here, okay? Stay in public. *Adiós.*"