# Voice Sheet: The Café Encounter **Setting:** A small café on Main Street, Alborn, MN. Late morning. Marie sits alone at a window table, scrolling through photos on her camera with trembling hands. --- Hunter: "Excuse me, miss? Mind if I sit down for a moment?" Marie: *(looking up, startled)* "Oh... oui, oui, asseyez-vous." Hunter: "I'm Detective Hunter. I'm investigating some incidents in town. I noticed you were out by the old mill yesterday with your camera. Did you happen to see anything unusual?" Marie: *(her face pales, words tumbling out)* "Mon Dieu, c'était horrible! J'ai vu quelque chose dans les bois—une silhouette, elle a disparu si vite! J'ai essayé de prendre une photo mais mes mains tremblaient trop..." Hunter: *(frowning, leaning back)* "I'm sorry, I... I don't understand. Do you speak English?" Marie: *(shaking her head, frustrated)* "Non, non, je suis désolée. Anglais... très peu. Je ne sais pas comment expliquer!" Hunter: "Okay, okay. Uh... camera?" *(mimes holding a camera)* "You take... picture?" Marie: *(nodding vigorously)* "Oui! Photo! J'ai pris des photos mais..." *(she shows him the camera screen, hands still shaking)* "Regardez, c'est flou. Tout est flou. Mais il y avait quelqu'un là-bas, je vous jure!" Hunter: *(squinting at the blurry images)* "These are pretty dark. Is that... is that a person? By the trees there?" Marie: "Une personne, oui! Exactement! Elle courait—non, elle *flottait* presque. C'était terrifiant. Je n'ai jamais eu aussi peur de ma vie." Hunter: *(rubbing his jaw)* "I wish I knew what you were saying. This could be important." Marie: *(clutching her camera to her chest)* "S'il vous plaît, vous devez me croire. Quelque chose de terrible se passe dans cette ville. Je le sens." Hunter: "Look, I can tell you're upset. Whatever you saw out there really shook you up, didn't it?" Marie: *(eyes welling with tears)* "Oui... j'ai très peur. Je voulais juste photographier les pommiers pour mon projet. Je ne m'attendais pas à..." Hunter: *(softening his tone)* "Hey, hey, it's alright. You're safe now. I'm going to figure this out, okay? I just need to find someone who can—" *(Hunter's phone buzzes loudly. He glances at the screen, jaw tightening.)* Hunter: "Damn. I have to take this." *(standing up)* "Stay in town, alright? Don't go back to that mill alone." *(mimes staying put)* "Stay. Here. Safe." Marie: *(nodding slowly)* "D'accord... je comprends. Soyez prudent, Monsieur." Hunter: *(tipping his head)* "I'll find a translator and come back. Just... sit tight." *(Hunter answers the phone and strides out of the café, leaving Marie clutching her camera, her eyes fixed on the blurry shadow frozen on the screen.)* --- **END SCENE**