**Voice Sheet: Café Scene – Melanie & Hunter** --- **Setting:** *A cozy, slightly worn café in Alborn, MN. The scent of fresh coffee and cinnamon rolls lingers in the air. Melanie sits at a corner table, her camera in hand, scrolling through photos on the small screen. The door chimes as Hunter enters, his sharp eyes scanning the room before landing on her. He approaches, his posture rigid, his expression unreadable.* --- ### **Scene Dialogue** **Hunter:** *(approaching, voice low and direct)* "Excuse me, ma’am. Mind if I sit?" *(Melanie looks up, startled. She hesitates, then nods slightly, clutching her camera tighter. Hunter pulls out the chair across from her and sits, his badge glinting under the café lights.)* **Hunter:** "I’m Detective Hunter. I’m looking into what happened at the old mill last night. You were there, right?" *(Melanie’s breath catches. Her fingers tremble as she sets her camera down. She shakes her head, her voice shaky in rapid German.)* **Melanie:** *"Nein, nein, ich war nicht dort! Ich habe nur… nur Fotos gemacht. Von den Bäumen. Vom See. Ich wusste nicht, dass etwas passiert ist!"* *(No, no, I wasn’t there! I was just… just taking pictures. Of the trees. Of the lake. I didn’t know anything happened!)* *(Hunter’s brow furrows. He leans in slightly, his voice firm but confused.)* **Hunter:** "Ma’am, I don’t understand what you’re saying. Do you speak English?" *(Melanie’s eyes widen. She swallows hard, then shakes her head, her voice rising in panic.)* **Melanie:** *"Ich verstehe nicht! Ich spreche kein Englisch! Bitte, ich habe nichts gesehen!"* *(I don’t understand! I don’t speak English! Please, I didn’t see anything!)* *(Hunter exhales sharply, rubbing his temple. He pulls out a small notepad and flips it open, scribbling something down before sliding it toward her. It’s a rough sketch of the mill and the surrounding area, with a question mark near the lake.)* **Hunter:** "Look, I need to know if you saw anything unusual near the mill last night. Anything at all." *(Melanie stares at the sketch, her hands trembling. She points to the lake, her voice breaking.)* **Melanie:** *"Ich habe Lichter gesehen. Beim See. Aber ich dachte, es wären nur… nur Fischer. Oder Touristen. Ich bin gegangen, als es dunkel wurde."* *(I saw lights. By the lake. But I thought they were just… just fishermen. Or tourists. I left when it got dark.)* *(Hunter studies her face, his expression unreadable. He taps the notepad, then points to the word "Lichter" and raises an eyebrow.)* **Hunter:** "Lichter… that means lights, right?" *(Melanie nods quickly, relieved he understood something.)* **Melanie:** *"Ja! Ja, Lichter. Wie… wie Laternen. Aber sie bewegten sich."* *(Yes! Yes, lights. Like… like lanterns. But they were moving.)* *(Hunter scribbles something else in the notepad, then looks up at her, his voice softer but still urgent.)* **Hunter:** "Did you see anyone? Any people near the lights?" *(Melanie shakes her head, her voice barely above a whisper.)* **Melanie:** *"Nein. Nur die Lichter. Und dann… dann war alles still."* *(No. Just the lights. And then… then everything was quiet.)* *(Hunter’s phone rings abruptly. He pulls it out, glances at the screen, and stands up quickly.)* **Hunter:** "I’ve got to take this. Stay here, okay? I might need to ask you more questions later." *(Melanie nods, her eyes wide. Hunter answers the call as he walks away, his voice low and urgent.)* **Hunter:** *(into phone, walking toward the door)* "Hunter. What’ve you got?" *(The café door swings shut behind him, leaving Melanie alone at the table, her camera forgotten as she stares at the sketch of the mill, her mind racing.)* --- **End Scene.** --- **Notes for Voice Acting:** - **Melanie:** Shaky, breathy, and increasingly panicked. Her German should sound natural but urgent, with a hint of desperation as she realizes Hunter doesn’t understand her. - **Hunter:** Gruff, no-nonsense, and slightly frustrated by the language barrier. His tone softens slightly when he realizes she’s genuinely scared, but he remains focused and professional. - **Pacing:** The scene should feel tense and slightly chaotic, with Melanie’s growing distress contrasting Hunter’s controlled demeanor. The abrupt phone call adds urgency to the moment.