Here’s the voice sheet for your scene, capturing the tension, confusion, and emotional beats between Maria and Hunter. The dialogue is written to reflect Maria’s distress in Spanish (with English translations for context) and Hunter’s growing frustration at the language barrier. --- ### **VOICE SHEET: CAFÉ CONVERSATION** **Location:** *The Daily Grind Café, Alborn, MN* – A cozy, slightly run-down café with mismatched chairs and the scent of cinnamon in the air. Rain taps lightly against the windows. Maria sits at a corner table, her camera in her hands, staring blankly at the screen. Hunter enters, scanning the room before approaching her. --- #### **SCENE: THE MISUNDERSTANDING** **HUNTER** *(approaches, flashing his badge briefly—more out of habit than necessity in this small town)* "Ma’am? Maria… Vasquez, right? I’m Detective Hunter. Mind if I ask you a few questions?" *(Maria looks up, startled. Her fingers tighten around her camera. She doesn’t respond immediately, just stares at him with wide, uneasy eyes.)* **MARIA** *(softly, in Spanish, voice trembling)* "¿Preguntas? ¿Sobre qué? Yo… yo no sé nada. Solo tomo fotos. No debería estar aquí." *(Hunter blinks, then frowns. He leans in slightly, as if that might help him understand.)* **HUNTER** "Uh. Look, I don’t—do you speak English? At all?" **MARIA** *(shakes her head quickly, then realizes he might not understand the gesture. She repeats, louder, more frantic)* "¡No entiendo! ¡No hablo inglés! ¿Qué quiere de mí?" *(Hunter exhales sharply through his nose, rubbing the back of his neck. He pulls out his notepad, flips to a blank page, and scribbles something before turning it toward her. It’s a poorly drawn stick-figure sketch of a person vanishing into thin air, with a question mark.)* **HUNTER** "Disappearances. Three people. Last seen near the old mill. You were there Tuesday night, right? Taking pictures?" *(Maria’s breath hitches. She looks at the sketch, then back at him, her face paling. She pushes the notepad away like it’s contaminated.)* **MARIA** *(whispering, in Spanish)* "Dios mío… ¿Cree que yo tuve algo que ver? ¡No! ¡Yo solo vi… vi algo raro! Pero no era una persona desapareciendo, era—" *(She cuts herself off, pressing her lips together. Hunter watches her, his expression unreadable. He taps the notepad insistently.)* **HUNTER** "Ma’am. Please. Anything you saw. Even if it doesn’t make sense." *(Maria swallows hard. She reaches for her camera, flips through the photos, and turns the screen toward him. It’s a blurry, nighttime shot of the mill—shadowy, eerie. In the corner, a faint, unnatural glow near the trees. She points at it, her hand shaking.)* **MARIA** *(in Spanish, urgent)* "¡Ahí! ¿Ve esa luz? No era normal. No había nadie alrededor, pero la luz… se movía. Como si algo la estuviera llevando. Y luego—" *(she mimes something snapping shut with her hands)* "—desapareció. Como si el aire mismo se la tragara." *(Hunter stares at the photo, then at her. He doesn’t understand a word, but her fear is clear. He flips to a new page in his notepad and writes in block letters:)* **"DID YOU SEE A PERSON?"** *(Maria reads it, then shakes her head violently.)* **MARIA** *(in Spanish, near tears)* "No, no vi a nadie. ¡Pero algo está mal aquí! Algo no humano. Usted no lo entiende—" *(Hunter’s phone rings. He pulls it out, glances at the screen, and curses under his breath. He holds up a finger to Maria—*wait*—before answering.)* **HUNTER** *(into phone, gruff)* "Hunter. Yeah. No, I’m at the café. What?—Damn it. I’ll be right there." *(He hangs up, shoves the phone back in his pocket, and stands abruptly. Maria flinches. He hesitates, then pulls a business card from his wallet and slides it across the table to her. He taps it twice, then points at her, then at the card, miming* **call me** *with his hand like a phone.)* **HUNTER** "Look. I don’t know what you saw, but if you remember anything—*anything*—you call me. Okay?" *(Maria stares at the card, then at him. She nods slowly, but her eyes are still wide with fear. Hunter hesitates, then adds, softer:)* **HUNTER** "And… stay away from the mill. At night." *(He turns to leave, then pauses, glancing back at her. For a second, his no-nonsense demeanor cracks—just a flicker of something like concern. But it’s gone as quickly as it came. He adjusts his jacket and strides out of the café, the bell above the door jingling in his wake.)* *(Maria exhales shakily, clutching her camera to her chest. She looks down at the business card, then at the photo on her camera screen. The unnatural glow seems to pulse, just for a second, before fading into static.)* --- **END SCENE.** --- ### **NOTES FOR PERFORMANCE:** - **Maria’s Spanish:** Should sound rapid, emotional, and slightly slurred with fear. Her voice cracks when she’s describing the unnatural light. She’s not just scared—she’s *haunted* by what she saw. - **Hunter’s Frustration:** His voice is low, controlled, but there’s an edge of impatience. He’s not used to not being understood, and it grates on him. The moment he realizes she’s genuinely terrified (not just uncooperative), his tone shifts slightly—less accusatory, more urgent. - **The Unspoken:** Neither of them says it, but there’s a creeping sense that whatever Maria saw, it’s *not* something Hunter’s detective skills are equipped to handle. The mill, the disappearances, the light—it’s all tied together, and it’s *wrong*. - **Hunter’s Exit:** His parting warning about the mill is delivered casually, like an afterthought, but it’s heavy with implication. He knows more than he’s letting on. --- Would you like any adjustments to the tone or pacing? Or perhaps a follow-up scene where they attempt to communicate better (maybe with a translator or gestures)?