Run: 2026-09-23-01M36WPJ9J06G969AQY9PASF53

# Scene: The Café on Main Street *[Melanie sits alone at a corner table in the Alborn Diner, her camera in her lap. She scrolls through recent photos, her brow furrowed. Hunter approaches and slides into the booth across from her.]* --- **Hunter:** "Ma'am. Detective Cole. I understand you were near the apple orchard two nights ago — the night Dale Harmon went missing. I need to ask you some questions." **Melanie:** *[looking up, startled]* "Ich… ich verstehe nicht. Englisch… ich spreche kein Englisch." **Hunter:** *[leaning forward]* "The orchard. Dale Harmon. Missing. You were there. What did you see?" **Melanie:** *[shaking her head, distressed]* "Nein, nein — ich verstehe nicht, was Sie sagen. Bitte… bitte sprechen Sie langsamer." **Hunter:** *[blinking]* "Uh… orchard. Big farm. Apples." *[mimes picking an apple]* "Missing man. Dale." **Melanie:** *[eyes widening with understanding]* "Äpfel… der Obstgarten! Ja, ja! Ich war dort. Ich fotografiere Landschaften — dort am Waldrand." *[she turns the camera around and shows him a photo of the orchard at dusk]* **Hunter:** *[pointing at the photo]* "Yes. Yes, that's it. What else? Did you see anyone? A person? A car?" **Melanie:** *[her expression darkens, her voice dropping]* "Ja… jemand war dort. Ich habe… ich habe einen Mann gesehen. Er stand am Rand des Waldes, ganz still. Und dann… dann war er weg. Einfach weg." **Hunter:** "What did you say? Someone was — " *[he mimes a figure standing and vanishing]* "Like this?" **Melanie:** *[nodding vigorously, voice trembling]* "Ja, genau so! Er war dort, und dann war er nicht mehr da. Es war… es war furchtbar. Ich habe noch nie so etwas gesehen. Die Haare stehen mir zu Berge." **Hunter:** *[frowning, pulling out a notepad]* "You saw someone at the tree line. And then they were gone. That's — that's three now." *[under his breath]* "Three disappearances in one month…" **Melanie:** *[reaching across the table, gripping his arm]* "Bitte — bitte, Herr Detektiv. Ich habe Angst. Was ist hier los? Warum verschwinden die Menschen? Diese Stadt… sie fühlt sich falsch an." **Hunter:** *[softening slightly]* "I don't know, ma'am. But I'm going to find out. That's why I'm here." *[he pauses, then holds up his camera and mimes taking a photo]* "More pictures? Do you have more pictures from that night?" **Melanie:** *[eagerly]* "Ja! Ja, ich habe viele Fotos. Hier — schauen Sie. Die letzten Bilder, bevor ich weggelaufen bin." *[She scrolls to the last few photos and slides the camera across the table. Hunter studies them closely, his jaw tightening. His phone buzzes. He glances at the screen, and his expression hardens.]* **Hunter:** "Damn it." *[standing abruptly, grabbing his coat]* "Another one. They just found a car out on Route 7 — empty, engine still running." *[he puts a card on the table]* "Melanie, I need you to come to the station. I need those photos. Here — " *[points at the card, then at her]* "Station. Today." **Melanie:** *[standing too, clutching the camera to her chest]* "Was ist passiert? Bitte, sagen Sie mir, was passiert ist!" **Hunter:** *[already heading for the door, then turning back briefly]* "I don't know what you're saying, ma'am. But stay away from the woods. Stay away from the orchard." *[he makes a "stop" gesture toward the window, toward the tree line outside]* "No more landscape photography. Not today." **Melanie:** *[calling after him, her voice cracking]* "Warten Sie — bitte! Ich komme mit! Ich will helfen! Bitte lassen Sie mich nicht allein!" *[Hunter pushes through the door and is gone. Melanie stands alone in the booth, her hands shaking. She looks down at the camera in her arms, then slowly turns toward the window — toward the dark line of trees beyond the apple orchard in the distance.]* **Melanie:** *[to herself, barely a whisper]* "Was… was ist mit dieser kleinen Stadt los?" *[She holds up the camera and looks through the viewfinder one more time — then quickly lowers it. On the screen, in the last photo, a figure stands at the tree line, where no one should be.]* **Melanie:** "[her breath catches]"