Run: 2026-07-01-01KWEAFNHAKEVRMCXDAKJBCD1M

**Scene: The Sugar Maple Café, Alborn, MN** *Melanie sits at a small table by the window, scrolling through photos on her camera screen. Her coffee has gone cold beside her. Hunter enters, spots her, and approaches with his notebook already in hand.* **Hunter:** "Afternoon. Sorry to bother you—I'm Detective Hunter, Alborn PD. I heard you were out by Miller's Orchard yesterday evening. Around the time the Andersen girl went missing." **Melanie:** *(startled, gripping her camera tighter)* "Was? Ich... ich verstehe nicht. Was ist passiert?" *(What? I... I don't understand. What happened?)* **Hunter:** *(pausing, brow furrowing)* "...Come again?" **Melanie:** "Es tut mir leid, ich spreche kein Englisch. Ist etwas Schlimmes passiert?" *(I'm sorry, I don't speak English. Did something bad happen?)* **Hunter:** *(sighing, rubbing the back of his neck)* "Great. Just— great." *(He sits down across from her uninvited, gesturing at her camera.)* "Look, do you understand *photos*? Pictures? You take pictures?" **Melanie:** *(relaxing slightly, nodding)* "Ja, Fotos. Ich fotografiere die Landschaft hier. Sehr schön." *(Yes, photos. I photograph the landscape here. Very beautiful.)* *(She turns the camera toward him, showing an image of the orchard at dusk.)* **Hunter:** "Okay. Okay, that's— that's good, actually." *(He leans in, studying the photo intently.)* "Can I see more of these? From yesterday? Gestern—no, wait, that's not—" *(frustrated)* "Yesterday. Show me yesterday." **Melanie:** *(catching the word "gestern," her eyes widening slightly)* "Gestern? Ja, warte—" *(Yesterday? Yes, wait—)* *(She scrolls back through the photos, her hands trembling faintly.)* "Hier. Ich war dort, aber es war komisch. Es gab ein Geräusch, wie ein Schrei, aber ich habe niemanden gesehen." *(Here. I was there, but it was strange. There was a sound, like a scream, but I didn't see anyone.)* **Hunter:** *(watching her face change, sensing the shift in her tone)* "Whoa—hey. You okay? Something spooked you, didn't it." *(He points to the photo, then to her, miming a shiver.)* "Scared? You saw something scary?" **Melanie:** *(nodding rapidly, her voice tightening)* "Ja. Angst. Ich hatte Angst. Es war dunkel, und dann... dann bin ich einfach gerannt." *(Yes. Fear. I was afraid. It was dark, and then... then I just ran.)* **Hunter:** "Okay. Okay, I'm gonna need someone who actually speaks German here, because this is—" *(He pulls out his phone, about to dial, when it rings first. He glances at the screen, jaw tightening.)* "Hunter." *(A pause. His expression darkens.)* **Hunter:** "Where? ...How long ago?" *(He stands abruptly, chair scraping against the floor.)* "I'm on my way." *(He looks back at Melanie, who watches him with wide, uncertain eyes, still clutching her camera.)* **Hunter:** "Don't go anywhere. I mean it—stay. Bleib. That's German, right? Bleib?" *(He doesn't wait for confirmation, already moving toward the door.)* "I'll be back." **Melanie:** *(calling after him, helpless)* "Warten Sie! Was ist los? Bitte, was ist passiert?" *(Wait! What's going on? Please, what happened?)* *(But the door has already swung shut behind him, the bell above it jingling faintly in the sudden quiet. Melanie stares at the empty doorway, then down at her camera, her thumb hovering over the photo from the orchard.)*