**Voice Sheet: Selvi and Hunter at the Café in Alborn, MN** *Setting: A quiet corner of the Alborn Coffee Co., a small timber-framed café with checkered curtains. Autumn light filters through the window. Selvi is reviewing photos on her camera, brow slightly furrowed. Hunter enters, badge clipped to his belt, walks over, and pulls out a chair.* --- **Hunter:** (calm, direct) Ma’am, mind if I sit? I’m Detective Hunter. We’ve had some… unusual things happening in town lately. I’m talking to everyone who’s been around the area—especially near the old orchard trail. **Selvi:** (startled, looks up, clutches camera) क्या? मुझसे? मैं कुछ नहीं जानती… ओह, मुझे डर लग रहा है… (Kya? Mujhse? Main kuch nahi jaanti… Oh, mujhe dar lag raha hai…) *(What? Me? I don’t know anything… Oh, I’m scared…)* **Hunter:** (blinking, tilting head slightly) I’m sorry—I don’t understand Hindi. Can you… do you speak any English? **Selvi:** (shaking head gently, eyes wide) मुझे अंग्रेजी नहीं आती। मैं बस फोटो ले रही थी… वो आदमी… झाड़ियों में… मेरा कैमरा… (Mujhe angreji nahi aati. Main bas photo le rahi thi… Wo aadmi… jhariyon mein… mera camera…) *(I don’t know English. I was just taking photos… That man… in the bushes… my camera…)* *She holds out her camera, flips to a recent image—a blurry figure in a dark coat, partially hidden behind trees near the orchard. Her hands tremble slightly.* **Hunter:** (leaning in, squinting at the photo) Wait. Where was this taken? **Selvi:** (pointing westward, voice rising) उस रास्ते पर… जहाँ सेब के पेड़ हैं… बहुत शांत था… फिर वो आवाज़… (Us raaste par… jahaan seb ke ped hain… bahut shaant tha… phir wo aawaz…) *(On that path… where the apple trees are… it was so quiet… then that sound…)* *She mimics a low thud with her hand, then covers her mouth.* **Hunter:** (voice low, intense) You heard something? Like… a scream? A fight? **Selvi:** (shaking head rapidly) नहीं… ऐसा नहीं… जैसे कोई ठहर गया हो… फिर कुछ भी नहीं… बस हवा… (Nahi… aisa nahi… jaise koi thahar gaya ho… phir kuch bhi nahi… bas hawa…) *(No… not like that… like someone stopped… then nothing… just the wind…)* *She shivers. Hunter studies her face—she’s genuinely frightened.* **Hunter:** You did good showing me this. Can you… wait here a minute? I might need you to come down to the station. We can get someone who speaks Hindi. Or—can you text someone? A friend? Translator? **Selvi:** (nods slowly, clutching camera close) मेरी दोस्त… हैदराबाद से… वो अंग्रेजी समझती है… (Meri dost… Hyderabad se… wo angreji samjhti hai…) *(My friend… from Hyderabad… she understands English…)* **Hunter:** Okay. Good. Just stay put, alright? *Hunter’s phone rings—sharp, urgent. He checks the screen, stands abruptly.* **Hunter:** (into phone) Hunter… Yeah. What? The storage shed behind Miller’s Farm? Another one gone? I’m on my way. *He turns back to Selvi, apologetic but urgent.* **Hunter:** I’ve gotta go. But someone will come get you—officer, translator. Just… don’t leave town, okay? You might be the only person who saw something. *Selvi nods, not understanding the words but sensing the gravity. She snaps one quick photo of Hunter as he strides out.* —**END VOICE SHEET**—