Run: 2026-02-17-01KHNF7GET877D0VD4G12HWVYR

**Voice Sheet: Cafe Scene - Alborn, MN** **Maria:** (Eyes wide, voice trembling slightly) "¿El festival... ¿el festival de manzanas? ¿Qué pasó con él? ¿Dónde están las personas?" (The festival... the apple festival? What happened to it? Where are the people?) *(She clutches her camera strap tightly, looking around nervously. Her Spanish is fluent but strained, reflecting her distress.)* **Hunter:** (Leaning in, brow furrowed, completely lost) "Uh... apple festival? Festival? Festival of what?" *(He gestures vaguely, trying to follow her gestures but missing the words entirely.)* "Look, I need to ask you about the disappearances. Did you see anything unusual around town recently?" *(His tone is direct, but his confusion is palpable.)* **Maria:** (Shaking her head, speaking faster, more urgently) "No, no, no! I saw... I saw him! The man in the woods! He was... he was taking pictures! Like me! But he wasn't supposed to be there! He looked... dangerous!" *(She points vaguely towards the woods near the festival grounds, her voice rising in pitch. She struggles to find the right English words, mixing in Spanish phrases.)* "He had a camera... like my camera! But he was taking pictures of the disappearances! He was taking pictures of the empty spaces!" *(Her eyes dart around the cafe, searching for understanding.)* **Hunter:** (Stunned silence, then a slow nod, processing her fragmented words) "The... the empty spaces? You mean... the places where people vanished?" *(He leans back slightly, trying to piece together her frantic description.)* "Okay. Okay. Did you see his face? What did he look like? Did he say anything?" *(His confusion hasn't vanished, but he's focusing on the core information about the suspicious man with a camera.)* **Maria:** (Tears welling up, voice breaking) "I... I don't know! He was tall! He wore a dark coat! He ran away when he saw me! He didn't speak! He just... took pictures! And then... the festival... it stopped. Everyone left. No one talks about it." *(She looks down at her camera, then back at Hunter, her expression a mix of fear and frustration.)* "Why won't anyone tell me?" **Hunter:** (His expression hardens, the detective taking over) "Okay. Okay. Thank you. That's... that's important. I need to find this man. Do you know where he was? Near the woods? The old mill?" *(He pulls out a notepad, scribbling quickly.)* "Can you show me where you saw him? On a map? Or... or just point?" *(He's focused on the lead, but his lack of Spanish remains a barrier to deeper understanding.)* **Maria:** (Nods vigorously, pointing towards the window towards the dense forest visible beyond the cafe) "Sí! Allí! Allí en los bosques! Allí donde está el molino antiguo!" (Yes! There! There in the woods! There where the old mill is!) *(She gestures emphatically, her Spanish becoming more fluent as her urgency overrides her earlier confusion. She seems to relax slightly, knowing she's conveyed the crucial location.)* **Hunter:** (Stands up, pocketing his notepad) "Got it. Thanks, Maria. I'll look into it. Stay safe." *(He gives a curt nod, his no-nonsense demeanor returning. He turns to leave, his phone buzzing in his pocket. He glances at it, then back at her.)* "I have to take this. Call the station." *(He walks away quickly, leaving Maria alone in the suddenly quiet cafe, her camera still clutched in her hands, staring after him.)* **End of Scene**