Here’s the voice sheet for the scene, capturing the tension, confusion, and emotional undercurrent between Melanie and Hunter. The dialogue is written in **German (Melanie)** and **English (Hunter)**, with notes on tone, pacing, and subtext for voice actors. --- ### **VOICE SHEET: CAFÉ CONVERSATION** **Location:** *The Steaming Mug Café, Alborn, MN* – A cozy, slightly cluttered café with mismatched chairs, the scent of cinnamon and coffee in the air. Rain taps lightly against the windows. Melanie sits at a corner table, her camera in hand, scrolling through photos with a troubled expression. Hunter enters, scanning the room before approaching her. --- #### **SCENE: THE MISSING PHOTOGRAPHER** *(Hunter approaches Melanie’s table. He’s in his detective’s coat, damp from the rain, and carries a notepad. Melanie doesn’t notice him at first, lost in her thoughts. He clears his throat.)* --- **HUNTER** *(gruff, no-nonsense, slightly impatient)* *(Taps the table lightly with his knuckles to get her attention.)* "Ma’am? Excuse me—do you speak English?" *(Melanie startles, nearly dropping her camera. She looks up at him, wide-eyed, then shakes her head quickly, clutching her camera to her chest like a shield.)* --- **MELANIE** *(German, shaky, rapid—voice trembling)* "Äh—nein! Ich… ich verstehe nicht. Was wollen Sie?" *(What do you want?)* *(She glances around the café, as if looking for an escape or someone to translate. Her fingers tighten around her camera.)* --- **HUNTER** *(frowns, frustrated—he didn’t expect this barrier)* "Right. Okay." *(Pulls out his notepad, flips to a blank page, and scribbles something before showing it to her.)* *(The notepad reads, in messy handwriting:)* **"WERE YOU AT THE APPLE FESTIVAL LAST WEEK?"** *(Melanie reads it, then nods slowly, her breath hitching. She swallows hard before responding in German, her voice barely above a whisper.)* --- **MELANIE** *(German, hesitant, scared)* "Ja… ich war dort. Mit meiner Kamera. Ich habe… Fotos gemacht." *(Yes… I was there. With my camera. I took… pictures.)* *(She hesitates, then adds, quieter:)* "Aber dann… dann ist etwas passiert." *(But then… something happened.)* --- **HUNTER** *(leaning in slightly, voice lowering—he senses she knows something)* *(Writes again, slower this time:)* **"WHAT HAPPENED?"** *(Melanie’s hands shake as she sets her camera down. She rubs her arms, as if cold, and avoids his eyes.)* --- **MELANIE** *(German, voice cracking—she’s reliving it)* "Da war ein Mann. Er… er hat mit mir geredet. Über die Fotos. Aber dann—" *(There was a man. He… he talked to me. About the photos. But then—)* *(She stops, pressing her lips together. A beat. Then, in a rush:)* "—dann war er einfach *weg*. Und niemand hat ihn gesehen. Nicht einmal ich." *(—then he was just *gone*. And no one saw him. Not even me.)* *(Hunter’s expression darkens. He writes quickly, underlining the words:)* **"DID YOU TAKE A PICTURE OF HIM?"** --- **MELANIE** *(German, panicked—she shakes her head violently)* "Nein! Ich habe nichts gesehen! Ich schwöre es!" *(No! I didn’t see anything! I swear it!)* *(She reaches for her camera, flipping through the photos frantically, as if to prove it. Hunter watches her, then suddenly—his phone rings. He pulls it out, glances at the screen, and curses under his breath.)* --- **HUNTER** *(to Melanie, pointing at the notepad—urgent)* *(Writes:)* **"STAY HERE. DON’T LEAVE."** *(Then, into the phone, gruff:)* "Hunter. Yeah, I’m on my way." *(He stands abruptly, shoving the notepad into his pocket. Melanie looks up at him, eyes wide with fear.)* --- **MELANIE** *(German, desperate—grabbing his sleeve without thinking)* "Warten Sie! Bitte—was ist los?!" *(Wait! Please—what’s happening?!)* --- **HUNTER** *(pauses, looks down at her hand on his sleeve, then back at her face—his expression softens just slightly, but his voice is firm)* *(Pulls out the notepad one last time, scribbles:)* **"I’LL BE BACK. DON’T GO ANYWHERE."** *(He taps the notepad twice for emphasis, then turns and strides out of the café, leaving Melanie alone at the table, her breath coming in short, uneven gasps.)* *(The café’s ambient noise fills the silence—clinking cups, murmured conversations, the rain against the windows. Melanie stares at the notepad, then at the door Hunter just walked through. She hugs herself, her camera forgotten on the table.)* --- ### **NOTES FOR VOICE ACTORS:** - **Melanie:** - **Tone:** Startled, fearful, and increasingly distressed. Her German should sound natural, with a slight German accent in her English-like filler words (*"äh," "ja"*). - **Pacing:** Starts hesitant, then rushes as she gets more upset. Her voice cracks when she mentions the man disappearing. - **Body Language Cues (for acting):** Clutches her camera like a lifeline, avoids eye contact, fidgets with her sleeves, and leans back as if trying to make herself smaller. - **Hunter:** - **Tone:** Gruff, no-nonsense, but not unkind. His frustration is clear when he realizes she doesn’t speak English, but he doesn’t raise his voice or intimidate her—just gets to the point. - **Pacing:** Slow and deliberate when writing, quicker when speaking into the phone. His voice drops slightly when Melanie grabs his sleeve, showing a hint of reluctance to leave her. - **Body Language Cues (for acting):** Taps the notepad impatiently when she doesn’t understand, leans in slightly when she mentions the man disappearing, and stands abruptly when the phone rings—showing urgency. - **Chemistry:** - There’s an unspoken tension—Hunter is used to being in control, but Melanie’s fear and the language barrier throw him off. Melanie, meanwhile, is terrified but also desperate for answers (or protection). Their dynamic should feel like two people who *need* to understand each other but can’t. --- ### **END SCENE.** *(This sets up a clear need for a translator—or for Melanie to learn enough English to communicate with Hunter—while also hinting at the mystery: What did she *really* see at the festival? And why is she so afraid?)*