Here’s the voice sheet for the scene, capturing the tension, confusion, and emotional undercurrent between Melanie and Hunter. The dialogue is written to reflect Melanie’s distress in German (with English translations for context) and Hunter’s growing frustration at the language barrier. --- ### **Voice Sheet: Café Scene – Melanie & Hunter** **Setting:** *A cozy but slightly worn café in Alborn, MN. The scent of coffee and cinnamon lingers in the air. Melanie sits at a corner table, her camera in hand, scrolling through photos on the small screen. Her expression is distant, troubled. Hunter enters, scanning the room before his gaze lands on her. He approaches, his posture rigid, all business.* --- #### **Scene Dialogue** **HUNTER** *(approaching, voice low but firm)* Excuse me, ma’am. Do you have a minute? *(Melanie looks up, startled. She doesn’t respond immediately, her fingers tightening around her camera. Hunter misinterprets her silence as hesitation and presses on.)* **HUNTER** I’m Detective Hunter. I’m looking into the disappearances that happened near the old apple orchard last week. I understand you were there that day, taking photos? *(Melanie’s breath hitches. She shakes her head slightly, her eyes widening. She responds in rapid, shaky German.)* **MELANIE (German)** *(troubled, voice trembling)* Nein, nein, ich… ich war da, aber ich habe nichts gesehen. Ich wollte nur Fotos machen—die Bäume, das Licht… *(she swallows hard)* Aber dann hörte ich etwas. Ein Schrei. Oder… oder war es ein Tier? Ich weiß es nicht. *(Her hands shake as she clutches her camera tighter.)* Ich bin weggelaufen. Ich hätte helfen sollen, aber ich hatte Angst. *(Hunter’s eyebrows furrow. He doesn’t understand a word, but her body language—her wide eyes, her trembling—tells him enough. He holds up a hand, trying to slow her down.)* **HUNTER** Ma’am, I—look, I don’t speak German. *(He exhales sharply, rubbing his temple.)* Do you speak *any* English? Even a little? **MELANIE (German)** *(frustrated, gesturing with her hands)* Englisch? Nein! *(She points to herself, then shakes her head emphatically.)* Ich verstehe nicht. *(She mimics holding a camera, then covers her ears, shaking her head again.)* Ich habe nichts gehört. Ich schwöre es. **HUNTER** *(pinching the bridge of his nose, muttering)* Great. Just great. *(He pulls out his notepad, flips to a blank page, and scribbles something before sliding it toward her. It’s a rough sketch of the orchard with a question mark near the trees. He taps it with his pen.)* **HUNTER** Were you here? *(He points to the sketch, then to her.)* You. Orchard. Last Wednesday. *(Melanie stares at the sketch. Her face pales. She nods slowly, then writes in shaky German on the notepad:)* **MELANIE (written, German)** Ja. Ich war dort. Aber ich habe nichts gesehen. *(She underlines the last part twice, her pen pressing so hard it nearly tears the paper.)* **HUNTER** *(sighing, leaning back in his chair)* Alright. *(He flips to another page and draws a stick figure running, then points to her.)* Did you see *anyone* running? Or… *(he draws another figure, this one with a question mark for a face)* …anyone *else*? *(Melanie hesitates. She bites her lip, then writes again, her hand unsteady.)* **MELANIE (written, German)** Ich sah jemanden. Aber nur von hinten. *(She draws a hooded figure in the margin, then shrugs helplessly.)* Ich dachte, es wäre ein Wanderer. **HUNTER** *(studying her drawing, his expression darkening)* A hooded figure. *(He taps the drawing.)* Tall? Short? Male? Female? *(Melanie shakes her head, writing quickly.)* **MELANIE (written, German)** Ich weiß es nicht! Es war zu dunkel. *(She adds to the drawing, shading in the background to show it was dusk.)* Ich bin gegangen, bevor ich mehr sehen konnte. **HUNTER** *(leaning forward, voice low and urgent)* Ma’am, this is important. Did you hear anything? Voices? A struggle? *(Melanie’s breath comes faster. She writes one word, underlining it three times.)* **MELANIE (written, German)** **Schreie.** *(Hunter doesn’t know the word, but her reaction—her hands trembling, her eyes darting to the door as if expecting someone to burst in—tells him enough. He exhales sharply, running a hand over his face.)* **HUNTER** Screams. *(He nods grimly.)* Alright. *(He flips to a clean page and writes in block letters:)* **CAN YOU MEET ME AT THE STATION TOMORROW? 10 AM. BRING YOUR CAMERA.** *(He slides the notepad back to her. Melanie reads it, then looks up at him, her expression a mix of fear and resignation. She nods once, stiffly.)* **MELANIE (German)** *(quietly, defeated)* Ja. Ich werde da sein. *(Hunter’s phone rings. He pulls it out, glances at the screen, and curses under his breath.)* **HUNTER** *(standing abruptly, tucking the notepad into his jacket)* I’ve gotta take this. *(He points at her, his tone leaving no room for argument.)* Tomorrow. 10 AM. Don’t bail on me. *(Melanie nods again, watching as he strides out of the café, already barking orders into his phone. She exhales shakily, her fingers tracing the edge of her camera. The weight of what she *didn’t* say hangs heavy in the air.)* --- **End Scene.** --- ### **Notes for Performance:** - **Melanie:** Her German should be rapid, emotional, and laced with fear. She’s not just shaken—she’s *guilty* of something, even if it’s just running away when she should have helped. Her body language should be closed off (arms crossed, leaning away), and her voice should crack when she mentions the screams. - **Hunter:** His frustration with the language barrier should be palpable, but he’s not unkind. He’s a detective used to getting answers, and her inability to communicate is clearly grating on him. His posture is rigid, his movements sharp, but there’s a flicker of sympathy when he realizes how terrified she is. - **The Unsaid:** The tension between them isn’t just about the language barrier—it’s about the *weight* of what Melanie isn’t saying. Hunter senses it, and it’s eating at him. Would you like any adjustments to the tone or pacing?