Run: 2026-02-20-01KHXPBCESFB4HQX0BTCXVBJ3G

Here’s the dialogue formatted as a **voice sheet** for your cozy mystery scene, capturing the tension, language barrier, and underlying unease between Melanie and Hunter. --- ### **Scene: The Café in Alborn, MN** *Setting: A quiet, slightly rustic café with the hum of distant conversation. Melanie sits alone at a corner table, her camera in hand, scrolling through photos with a furrowed brow. Hunter approaches, his expression serious. He pulls out the chair across from her without asking—polite but authoritative.* --- #### **Voice Sheet: Melanie & Hunter** **Hunter:** *(firm but not unkind, sliding into the seat)* "Miss, I’m Detective Hunter. Mind if I ask you a few questions?" **Melanie:** *(startled, gripping her camera tighter, responding in rapid German)* "Äh—wer sind Sie? Warum sprechen Sie mich an?" *(Who are you? Why are you talking to me?)* *(Her voice wavers; she glances toward the door as if considering bolting.)* **Hunter:** *(frowning, leaning in slightly)* "Look, I just need to know if you’ve seen anything unusual around here. Last night, near the old mill." **Melanie:** *(eyes widening, responding in German, voice shaking)* "Die Mühle? Ich—ich war dort. Aber ich habe nichts gesehen! Nur… nur die Lichter. Sie sind einfach ausgegangen." *(The mill? I—I was there. But I didn’t see anything! Just… just the lights. They just turned off.)* *(She swallows hard, her fingers trembling as she clutches her camera strap.)* **Hunter:** *(frustrated, rubbing his temple)* "Lady, I don’t speak German. Slow down. *Lights?* What lights?" **Melanie:** *(realizing he doesn’t understand, switching to broken, heavily accented English—hesitant, like she’s translating in her head)* "The… the lights in mill. They were on. Then—*poof*—gone. Like someone…" *(she trails off, shaking her head, hugging herself)* **Hunter:** *(intense, watching her reactions closely)* "Like someone what? Disappeared?" *(A beat. Melanie doesn’t answer, just stares at her camera screen—zoomed in on a blurry figure near the mill’s broken window.)* **Hunter:** *(softer, trying to reassure her)* "Hey. You’re not in trouble. But if you saw something, you gotta tell me. People are missing." **Melanie:** *(whispers in German, more to herself than him)* "Er hat mich gesehen. Ich weiß, er hat mich gesehen." *(He saw me. I know he saw me.)* *(Her breath hitches. Hunter’s phone rings—loud, jarring. He checks the caller ID and curses under his breath.)* **Hunter:** *(standing abruptly, already distracted by the call)* "Stay in town. Don’t go near that mill again." *(He answers the phone as he walks away, barking into the receiver:)* "Hunter. Yeah, I’m on my way." **Melanie:** *(to herself, in German, voice barely audible—terrified)* "Was habe ich nur getan…?" *(What have I done…?)* *(She quickly powers off her camera and tucks it into her bag, scanning the café like she’s expecting someone to emerge from the shadows.)* --- ### **End Scene** --- ### **Notes for Tone & Delivery:** - **Melanie:** - Starts **flustered, defensive** (German lines are rapid, breathless). - Switches to **broken English** with a thick accent—**hesitant, like she’s afraid of saying the wrong thing**. - Final line is **haunted, barely a whisper**. - **Hunter:** - **Controlled but impatient**—used to people cooperating, not language barriers. - **Voice drops to a growl** when he says *"Stay in town."*—a warning, not a request. - **Phone call interruption** should feel abrupt, like the scene is cut short. --- ### **Subtext for the Mystery:** - Melanie clearly saw something at the mill—but is she a **witness**… or **involved**? - The **blurry photo** on her camera hints at a clue (a shadowy figure? a symbol?). - Hunter doesn’t realize she’s **terrified of someone specific**—*"He saw me."* Who? Would you like any adjustments to heighten the suspense or foreshadowing?