# Voice Sheet — Scene at the Café --- **[Setting: A small café on Main Street in Alborn, MN. Maria sits alone at a corner table near the window, scrolling through photographs on her camera's display screen. A half-finished cup of coffee sits beside her. Hunter enters, badge clipped to his belt, and notices her — a face he hasn't seen before in this small town. He approaches.]** --- Hunter: "Excuse me, ma'am. Mind if I sit down for a moment?" Maria: *[Looks up from her camera, startled, eyes wide. She glances at the badge on his belt and stiffens.]* "¿Perdona? No... no entiendo." Hunter: "I'm Detective Hunter Brandt. I'm investigating some incidents here in town. You, uh — you're not from around here, are you?" Maria: *[Shakes her head slowly, clutching her camera against her chest.]* "Lo siento, no hablo inglés. No entiendo lo que me dice." Hunter: *[Frowns, scratches the back of his neck.]* "You don't speak English. Okay. That's... that's gonna make this harder." *[He mimes sitting down, points to the chair across from her, raises his eyebrows questioningly.]* Maria: *[Hesitates, then nods cautiously, gesturing to the chair.]* "Sí, sí... siéntese." Hunter: *[Sits down, pulls out a small notepad. He takes out his phone and shows her a photo of the town square taken the previous night — the area near where the most recent disappearance occurred.]* "This. Last night. Were you there? Did you see anything?" Maria: *[Her face goes pale. She recognizes the location. Her hands begin to tremble and she sets the camera down on the table. She speaks rapidly, her voice shaking.]* "Dios mío... sí, yo estuve ahí. Estuve sacando fotos del atardecer y... escuché algo. Algo horrible. Había gritos, pero cuando me di la vuelta no había nadie. Solo... solo silencio. Y después vi algo moverse entre los árboles, una sombra, no sé lo que era. Salí corriendo. Tenía mucho miedo. No he podido dormir en toda la noche." Hunter: *[Stares at her, completely lost. He blinks a few times.]* "I... I'm sorry, I didn't catch any of that. Not a single word." *[He exhales through his nose, frustrated with himself. He holds up a hand gently.]* "Okay. Okay, let me try something." Maria: *[Watches him, eyes glistening with anxiety.]* "¿No me entiende? Necesito que alguien me entienda. Vi algo anoche. Algo que no estaba bien." Hunter: *[Points to her camera.]* "Your camera. Photos?" *[He mimes taking a picture, then points to the image of the town square on his phone again.]* "Photos? Last night?" Maria: *[Understanding dawns on her face. She picks up the camera with shaking hands and begins scrolling back through her images. She turns the screen toward him, showing a series of sunset landscape shots of the town square — and then one darker image, slightly blurred, where the treeline is visible and there is an indistinct shape among the shadows.]* "Mire. Mire esto. Estaba ahí. Había algo entre los árboles. No sé qué era, pero... estaba ahí." Hunter: *[Leans forward, squinting at the image. His jaw tightens.]* "What the hell is that?" *[He points at the dark shape in the photo, then looks up at her.]* "Can I — " *[He mimes taking the camera, then shakes his head.]* "I need a copy of this. Somehow." Maria: *[Pulls the camera back slightly, protective, but then sees the seriousness in his eyes. She nods slowly.]* "Algo malo está pasando en este pueblo. Lo sé. Lo siento aquí." *[She presses her hand to her chest.]* "Tenga cuidado." Hunter: *[Watches her gesture, sees the genuine fear in her expression. He speaks more softly now.]* "I don't know what you're saying, but I can see you're scared. I believe you saw something. I'm going to figure this out." *[He taps the table gently, reassuringly.]* "I'll come back. I'll bring someone who can translate." Maria: *[Nods, though she doesn't understand his words. She senses his sincerity.]* "Gracias. Creo que... creo que usted es buena persona. Pero este lugar... hay algo muy malo aquí. Vine a estudiar, a sacar fotos, y me encuentro con esto. No puedo dejar de pensar en esos gritos." Hunter: *[Opens his mouth to respond when his phone buzzes loudly. He glances down — the caller ID reads "SHERIFF DEPT." He holds up a finger to Maria.]* "I'm sorry, I have to take this." *[Into the phone:]* "Brandt here." Maria: *[Watches him, still trembling slightly. She turns the camera back toward herself and stares at the blurred shadow in the photograph.]* "¿Qué eres?" *[she whispers to herself.]* Hunter: *[His expression darkens as he listens to the call. He stands abruptly.]* "Yeah. Yeah, I'm on my way. Ten minutes." *[He hangs up and looks at Maria. He places a business card on the table, taps it with his finger, then points to her, then mimes a phone call.]* "Call me. If you need anything. Call." *[He points to the camera.]* "And don't delete those photos." Maria: *[Picks up the card, reads the name. She looks up at him.]* "Hunter Brandt." *[She says his name carefully, with a Spanish inflection.]* "Sí. Lo entiendo. No borraré nada." *[She holds up the camera and shakes her head, miming that she won't delete anything.]* Hunter: *[A brief, grim smile crosses his face.]* "Good. I think we understood each other. I'll be back." *[He turns toward the door, pauses, and looks back at her one more time.]* "Stay safe." Maria: *[Watches him leave, then looks down at the business card, then back at her camera. She whispers:]* "Ten cuidado, detective. Lo que sea que hay ahí fuera... no creo que sea humano." --- **[Hunter pushes through the café door into the grey Minnesota afternoon. The bell above the door chimes behind him. Maria sits alone again, her coffee now cold, staring at the dark shape in her photograph as the café hums quietly around her.]**