Run: 2026-05-20-01KS25TETWCTA7TCS1NTA16A72

**Setting:** The patio of The Rusty Anchor Cafe, Alborn, Minnesota. Autumn leaves drift across the pavement. Marie sits at a corner table, frantically scrolling through the digital viewfinder of her camera, her hands trembling slightly. Hunter, wearing a worn leather jacket and holding a notebook, steps up to her table. *** Hunter: "Excuse me, ma'am. Mind if I have a moment? I'm Detective Hunter. I'm investigating the disappearance of the Peterson boy. He was last seen near the old orchard yesterday afternoon, and a witness said they saw someone with a professional camera taking landscape shots nearby. That wouldn't happen to be you, would it?" Marie: "Oh! Bonjour... Excusez-moi, je ne comprends pas. Vous parlez de ce qui s'est passé près de la vieille grange ? C'était... c'était terrible. J'ai eu si peur." Hunter: "Uh... right. Is that French? Look, I don't speak a lick of whatever that is. Did you see anything unusual by the orchard? A boy, about ten, blue jacket? I just need a simple yes or no, ma'am." Marie: "Attendez, s'il vous plaît... Regardez mes photos. J'essayais de prendre les couleurs de l'automne, mais il y avait cette silhouette sombre derrière les arbres. Il... il n'avait pas l'air humain. Il s'est déplacé si vite. J'ai couru jusqu'ici et je n'ose plus bouger." Hunter: "Whoa, slow down. You're shaking. Are you okay? Did someone hurt you? Just point to what's bothering you. Let me see the camera." Marie: "Non, s'il vous plaît, ne me prenez pas l'appareil ! Les preuves sont là-dedans. J'ai essayé de zoomer sur son visage, mais tout est flou. J'ai l'impression que... que quelque chose de très mauvais rôde dans cette ville. Les gens d'ici sont en danger, vous devez me croire !" Hunter: "Listen, lady, I want to help, but you're speaking Greek to me. I need to know if you saw the kid. Let me just take a quick look at the screen. Just hand over the camera, okay?" Marie: "Monsieur, vous ne comprenez pas ! Ce n'est pas un simple accident. Cet homme... ou cette chose, elle l'a emporté. J'ai entendu un cri, un bruit horrible, et puis plus rien. Je suis terrifiée, je ne veux pas retourner là-bas." Hunter: "Damn it, this is going nowhere. Why does nobody in this town speak plain English when I need them to?" *(Hunter's cell phone suddenly buzzes loudly in his pocket. He sighs heavily, pulls it out, and looks at the screen. He presses it to his ear.)* Hunter: "Hunter here... What? Another one? Down by the river bend? Don't touch anything, I'm on my way." *(Hunter hangs up the phone and looks back at Marie with an apologetic but frustrated grimace.)* Hunter: "Look, I have to go. Duty calls. Just... stay here, okay? Don't go wandering off into the woods alone. I'll find someone who can translate this mess later." Marie: "Attendez ! Ne me laissez pas seule ici ! Qu'est-ce qui se passe ? S'il vous plaît !"