Run: 2026-07-01-01KWE93VRNZ9T5SRR20SJ33RC4

**The Copper Kettle Café, Alborn, MN — Late Afternoon** Maria: *(scrolling through photos on her camera screen, pausing on one that makes her frown)* "¿Pero qué...? Esto no estaba aquí antes." Hunter: *(pulling out the chair across from her without asking)* "Afternoon, ma'am. Detective Hunter, Alborn PD. Mind if I ask you a few questions? I understand you were out near the old Kessler orchard yesterday morning." Maria: *(looking up, startled)* "¿Perdón? No... no hablo inglés. Lo siento." Hunter: *(pausing, rubbing his jaw)* "Right. Okay. Um — orchard. Kessler's orchard. You were there?" Maria: *(shaking her head, clearly rattled, gesturing toward her camera)* "Yo solo estaba tomando fotografías. Fui allí por la luz de la mañana, para las fotos. Pero vi algo... algo que no puedo explicar." Hunter: *(leaning forward, though he understands none of it)* "Something's got you spooked, I can see that much. Can you show me? Photos — camera?" *(he points at the camera, then makes a small gesture like pressing a shutter button)* Maria: *(hesitating, then turning the camera toward him, flipping through images with a trembling hand)* "Mire — aquí. Esto es lo que vi. Había una persona parada entre los árboles, muy quieta, y luego... desapareció. No se movió como una persona normal. Fue extraño. Me dio miedo." Hunter: *(squinting at the small screen, seeing only blurred trees and shadow)* "I can't— I don't know what I'm looking at here. Is that a person? Ma'am, I really need someone who speaks Spanish to help translate this properly." Maria: *(frustrated, speaking faster now)* "¡No sé cómo explicarlo mejor! Ojalá pudiera decírselo en inglés, pero no puedo. Esto me tiene muy nerviosa. Nunca había visto algo así." Hunter: *(sighing, pulling out a small notepad anyway)* "Okay. Okay, look — I'm gonna write down your name and where you're staying, and I'll get Deputy Alvarez down here, she speaks some Spanish. Can you just... stay put for a bit?" *(he mimes staying seated with his hands)* Maria: *(nodding slowly, still uneasy)* "Está bien. Esperaré. Pero por favor, alguien tiene que ver estas fotos. Creo que vi algo relacionado con las personas desaparecidas." Hunter: *(catching the words "personas desaparecidas" and stiffening)* "Wait — desaparecidas. That means missing, doesn't it? Missing people?" Maria: *(surprised he understood, nodding emphatically)* "Sí. Sí, exacto. Desaparecidas." Hunter: *(his phone buzzes loudly on the table; he glances at the screen, jaw tightening)* "Dammit. That's the station." *(he answers)* "Hunter. ... Yeah. ... Where? ... I'm on my way." Hunter: *(standing quickly, pocketing the phone)* "I have to go. Something's happened out at the reservoir. Stay here — someone will come talk to you properly, I promise. Don't go anywhere, and don't delete those photos." Maria: *(watching him go, clutching her camera tightly to her chest)* "Espera... ¿qué pasó? ¿Otra persona desapareció?" Hunter: *(already halfway out the door, not understanding a word, but pausing just long enough to give her a firm nod)* "I'll be back. Stay put." *The café door swings shut behind him. Maria sits alone, staring down at the frozen image on her camera screen — the still, pale figure between the apple trees — and shivers.*