Run: 2026-10-08-01M4DA2AHCVGHQCAER65A1HGSK

**Scene: Café on Main Street, Alborn, MN. Late morning. Melanie sits alone at a corner table, camera in her lap, scrolling through photos. Hunter walks in, scans the room, and approaches her.** **Hunter:** "Excuse me. Are you Melanie? I'm Detective Hunter. I'd like to ask you about the orchard on Saturday night, the night Clara Dunmore disappeared." *(Melanie looks up, startled. She glances at the camera screen, then at him.)* **Melanie:** "Ich habe es gesehen. Auf dem Bild. Es war dort, zwischen den Bäumen, direkt neben ihr. Und dann war es einfach weg." *[I saw it. In the picture. It was there, between the trees, right next to her. And then it was just gone.]* *(Hunter frowns, leaning closer to the screen.)* **Hunter:** "Okay, slow down. Did you see Clara? Was anyone with her?" *(Melanie's voice wavers. She holds the camera tighter.)* **Melanie:** "Ich weiß nicht. Ich habe erst später bemerkt, dass ich nicht allein war. Bitte, glauben Sie mir. Ich habe es nicht erfunden." *[I don't know. I only noticed later that I wasn't alone. Please, believe me. I didn't make it up.]* *(Hunter shakes his head slowly, his brow creased in confusion.)* **Hunter:** "I'm sorry, I'm not following. I need you to tell me what you saw. Anything." **Melanie:** "Sie verstehen mich nicht, oder? Ich kann nicht... ich weiß nicht, wie ich es Ihnen sagen soll." *[You don't understand me, do you? I can't... I don't know how to tell you.]* *(Hunter exhales through his nose, pulls out a chair, and sits. He points to the camera, then to his chest, then to hers.)* **Hunter:** "Can I see the photo? Maybe the picture can help us understand." *(Melanie hesitates, then slides the camera across the table. Hunter studies the screen. Melanie watches his face, her hands trembling. She speaks again, softer.)* **Melanie:** "Das Gesicht... es hat mich angesehen. Ich habe das Foto dreimal angeschaut, und es sieht immer noch so aus." *[The face... it was looking at me. I've looked at the photo three times, and it still looks like that.]* **Hunter:** "Hey, it's okay. You're safe here. Can you tell me your last name? Where are you staying?" *(Melanie shakes her head, frustrated, and repeats one word.)* **Melanie:** "Nein. Nein, nein." *[No. No, no.]* *(Hunter's phone buzzes. He glances at the screen, then stands.)* **Hunter:** "Hunter. ...Yeah. Where? ...Got it. I'm ten minutes out." *(He hangs up and turns back to Melanie, hesitating. He slides his business card across the table and taps it.)* **Hunter:** "I have to go. This is my number. If you remember anything else, call me. Okay? Call me." *(Melanie picks up the card, reads his name, and looks up at him with uncertainty.)* **Melanie:** "Ich verstehe Sie nicht. Aber ich... ich rufe an. Versprochen." *[I don't understand you. But I... I'll call. I promise.]* *(Hunter nods, though he clearly has no idea what she said. He heads for the door. Melanie watches him go, then looks back down at the photo on her camera. The figure between the trees is still there.)* **END OF SCENE**