Run: 2026-02-08-01KGYZ3YNKFT3MX9P7W57H3EA4

# Voice Sheet: The Café Encounter --- Hunter: "Excuse me, ma'am? Mind if I sit down for a moment?" Melanie: *looks up from her camera, startled* "Oh... hallo?" Hunter: "I'm Detective Hunter, with the county sheriff's office. I'm looking into some things happening around town. Were you anywhere near the old mill road last Tuesday evening?" Melanie: *her expression shifts, her face paling* "Die... die alte Mühlenstraße? Ich war dort! Ich habe Fotos gemacht von der Landschaft, und dann... dann habe ich etwas Schreckliches gesehen. Jemand hat geschrien, und dann war es plötzlich still. Ganz still." Hunter: "I... I'm sorry, I don't — are you speaking German? Do you speak English at all?" Melanie: *shaking her head, clutching her camera tighter* "Ich spreche kein Englisch. Es tut mir leid. Aber Sie müssen mir zuhören! Ich habe es auf meiner Kamera — hier, schauen Sie!" *she turns the camera screen toward him, scrolling through dark, blurry landscape photos* Hunter: "Okay, okay — I can see the photos. These are from that night? Near the mill road?" Melanie: *nodding vigorously* "Ja! Ja, die Mühlenstraße! Und hier — sehen Sie diesen Schatten? Da war jemand. Eine Person, die etwas... jemanden gezogen hat. Ich hatte solche Angst, ich bin sofort weggerannt." Hunter: "I wish I could understand you. That shadow in the photo — is that a person? Are you saying you saw someone out there?" Melanie: *pointing emphatically at the dark figure in the photograph* "Ja! Eine Person! Und dann — weg. Die Person war einfach weg. Und die andere Person auch. Verschwunden!" Hunter: "Vanished... did you just say 'vanished'? That almost sounded like — look, I really need to get a translator down here. Can you stay in town for a while?" Melanie: *looking at him helplessly* "Ich verstehe nicht, was Sie sagen. Bitte... bitte, Sie müssen sich diese Bilder genauer ansehen. Ich glaube, dass jemand in Gefahr ist." Hunter: "You look really shaken up. Whatever you saw out there, it clearly wasn't good. I'm going to —" *Hunter's phone rings sharply. He holds up a finger and answers.* Hunter: "Hunter here. ...What? Another one? Where — the north side of the lake? I'm on my way." *he stands, looking torn* "Listen, I have to go. But I need to talk to you again. Can you — can you stay? Stay here?" Melanie: *watching him anxiously* "Sie gehen? Nein, warten Sie! Die Fotos — nehmen Sie doch wenigstens die Speicherkarte mit!" Hunter: *gesturing with both hands, palms down, in a "stay put" motion* "Stay. Here. Please. I'll come back. I'll bring someone who speaks German." *he taps his phone and points at her* "German. Translator. I'll be back." Melanie: *slowly sitting back down, still clutching her camera* "...Bitte kommen Sie zurück. Ich glaube, hier passiert etwas ganz Furchtbares." Hunter: *pausing at the café door, looking back at her one last time with a troubled expression, then muttering to himself* "Of all the witnesses in this town, I finally get one who actually saw something... and I can't understand a single word she's saying." *The café door swings shut behind him.* ---