**Voice Sheet: Café Scene – Maria & Hunter** --- ### **Scene Context:** *Maria sits at a small wooden table in the cozy, dimly lit **Alborn Café**, her fingers tracing the edges of her camera. The scent of cinnamon and coffee lingers in the air. She looks troubled, her brow furrowed as she stares at a photo on the screen—one she took near the edge of town, where the disappearances have been happening. The image is blurry, but something in the shadows unsettles her.* *Hunter, broad-shouldered and wearing a worn leather jacket, steps inside. His sharp eyes scan the room before landing on Maria. He approaches, pulling out the chair across from her without waiting for an invitation.* --- ### **Dialogue:** **HUNTER** *(direct, no-nonsense)* "Mind if I sit?" *(Maria looks up, startled. She doesn’t respond, her grip tightening on her camera. Hunter exhales through his nose, frustrated by the language barrier, but presses on.)* **HUNTER** *(slower, as if that might help)* "You were near the old mill yesterday. Saw something, didn’t you?" *(Maria’s breath hitches. She shakes her head, but her hands tremble. She speaks rapidly in Spanish, her voice shaking.)* **MARIA** *(Spanish, distressed)* "No sé qué vi… pero algo no estaba bien. Las sombras se movían solas. Y luego… luego escuché un grito. Pero cuando miré, no había nadie. Solo… solo el bosque. Y después, esa foto. *(She turns the camera toward him, pointing at the screen.)* Mira. Algo está mal aquí. Algo *terrible*." *(Hunter squints at the photo, then back at her. He doesn’t understand a word, but her fear is clear. He rubs his temple, frustrated.)* **HUNTER** *(gruff)* "Look, I don’t speak Spanish. But I *do* know you’re scared. And I need to know what you saw." *(Maria swallows hard, then tries again, slower, mixing in broken English.)* **MARIA** *(mixed Spanish/English, desperate)* "Yo… I take picture. But… *(gestures wildly at the camera)* algo… *wrong*. No normal. Grito. *(She mimics a scream, then clutches her chest.)* ¡Dios mío!" *(Hunter leans forward, his voice low but firm.)* **HUNTER** "Did you see a person? A face? Anything that could help?" *(Maria shakes her head, then suddenly grabs his wrist. Her eyes are wide, pleading.)* **MARIA** *(Spanish, urgent)* "¡No me crees! Pero es verdad. Algo está cazando en ese bosque. Y si no haces algo… *(her voice cracks)* alguien más va a desaparecer." *(Hunter stares at her, then pulls his hand back. He doesn’t like the sound of that—*cazando*. Hunting. His radio crackles. He ignores it for a second, studying her face.)* **HUNTER** "Stay here. Don’t go back out there. You understand?" *(Maria nods, but her eyes dart to the window, as if expecting something to be watching from the trees. Hunter’s radio crackles again—louder this time. A voice cuts through.)* **DISPATCH (V.O.)** *(static, urgent)* "Hunter, we’ve got another one. North side of the mill. You copy?" *(Hunter’s jaw tightens. He stands abruptly, tossing a few bills on the table.)* **HUNTER** *(to Maria, pointing at her)* "Stay. *Aquí*. No te muevas." *(Maria doesn’t need to understand the words to know the command. She nods, wrapping her arms around herself as Hunter strides out, the café door swinging shut behind him. Outside, the wind howls through the trees, carrying the faintest echo of a whisper—one that doesn’t sound human at all.)* --- **End Scene.** --- ### **Notes for Voice Acting:** - **Maria:** Shaky, rapid Spanish with moments of broken English. Her voice should convey growing panic, as if she’s reliving whatever she saw. Physicality matters—clutching her camera, gesturing wildly, flinching at shadows. - **Hunter:** Gruff, no-nonsense, but with an undercurrent of frustration (language barrier) and urgency (case pressure). His voice drops when he’s serious, like when he tells her to stay. - **Tone:** Eerie, tense. The café should feel like a temporary safe haven, but the outside world (the forest, the disappearances) looms ominously. The wind/howling should be audible in the background during pauses. Would you like any adjustments to the pacing or emotional beats?