Run: 2026-06-01-01KT1G0EKKSW4T6B6S3QHJ83P0

**[Café interior, late afternoon. Maria sits alone at a corner table, turning her camera over in her hands, her brow furrowed. She keeps glancing at the photos on the screen, then looking away. Hunter enters, scans the room, and approaches her table.]** **Hunter:** Ma'am? Sorry to bother you. I'm Detective Hunter, with the Alborn Police Department. I was told you might've been down by the old fairgrounds yesterday evening. You wouldn't have happened to see anything unusual out there, would you? Anything at all. **Maria:** *(looks up, startled, then quickly sets the camera face-down on the table)* No… no, yo no… Yo no vi nada. Lo juro. Es solo que… *(She swallows hard, her voice dropping to a whisper.)* Había alguien allí. Alguien que… no debería estar allí. Vi… vi algo en mi cámara que… *(She trails off, pressing a hand to her mouth, eyes glassy.)* Por favor, señor detective, no me pasó nada a mí, pero… esa persona, la del puente… ya no estaba cuando miré de nuevo. **Hunter:** *(leans in slightly, frowning)* I'm sorry, I — I don't — *(He holds up a hand apologetically, then tries again, slower and louder, as if volume might help.)* Did you see someone? A person? At the fairgrounds? **Maria:** *(nods rapidly, pointing down at her camera, then at the door)* Sí, sí. Un hombre. Estaba… *(She mimes a figure standing at the edge of something, then sweeping her hand downward.)* Y luego… se fue. Como si… *(She makes a disappearing gesture with her fingers, her expression twisting with worry.)* No sé qué significa. Pero tengo fotos. Aquí. *(She picks up the camera protectively, clutching it to her chest.)* No las he enseñado a nadie. **Hunter:** *(scratches the back of his neck, clearly out of his depth)* Okay… I really wish I could understand you, ma'am. I'm picking up that you saw something that scared you. That right? Something that scared you? **Maria:** *(tears welling up, nodding emphatically)* Sí. Mucho miedo. Por favor… usted tiene que… *(She taps the table urgently, then points toward the town square.)* Las personas que han desaparecido. Yo creo… yo creo que yo sé algo. Pero no puedo… *(She gestures helplessly between them, the unbridgeable gap of language hanging in the air.)* **Hunter:** *(lets out a long breath, pulling out his notepad and a business card)* Alright. Alright, look — I don't know what you're trying to tell me, but I believe it's important. Here's my card. *(He sets it on the table.)* I'm gonna find someone from the college program to come translate for us, okay? You just… you stay right here. Don't go anywhere. And please — *(He taps the camera gently.)* Don't delete anything on that. **Maria:** *(clutches the camera tighter, gives a small, uncertain nod)* Okay. Esperaré. Pero… por favor, detective… tenga cuidado. Ese lugar… hay algo… *(She shivers, pulling her jacket tighter around herself.)* **Hunter:** *(his phone suddenly buzzes in his pocket; he glances at the screen and his expression hardens)* I've gotta take this. *(To Maria, with a firm but not unkind look.)* Stay here. I'll be back within the hour. You hear me? Don't leave. **Maria:** *(clutches the camera, watching him stand)* Sí. Estaré aquí. Pero… señor detective? **Hunter:** *(pauses, phone already at his ear)* Yeah? **Maria:** *(very quietly, almost to herself)* La cámara no miente. **Hunter:** *(holds her gaze for a moment, something unspoken passing between them, then turns and strides toward the door, his voice dropping into professional mode as he answers the call)* This is Hunter. What do you got? **[The café door swings shut behind him. Maria is left alone with her camera, the card on the table, and the weight of whatever she saw at the fairgrounds the night before.]**