Run: 2026-02-20-01KHXPR398875ZTWEGFSWE22F4

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. --- ### **VOICE SHEET – CAFÉ SCENE** **Setting:** *A quiet café in Alborn, MN. Soft hum of conversation, clinking cups. Melanie sits alone, fiddling with her camera, looking distracted. Hunter approaches, his expression serious.* --- **HUNTER** *(firm, no-nonsense)* "Miss? Mind if I sit? Name’s Detective Hunter. I’m looking into the disappearances around town." *(Melanie looks up, startled. She clutches her camera tighter, her German accent thick as she responds in rapid, shaken German.)* **MELANIE** *(tense, in German)* *"Was? Warum fragen Sie *mich*? Ich… ich war nur hier, um Fotos zu machen. Ich habe nichts gesehen!"* *(Translation: *"What? Why are you asking *me*? I—I was just here to take photos. I didn’t see anything!"*) *(Hunter frowns, leaning in slightly, not understanding a word.)* **HUNTER** *(confused, impatient)* "Look, I don’t speak—whatever that is. But you were near the old mill yesterday, right? People say they saw a girl with a camera." **MELANIE** *(more agitated, in German)* *"Das ist nicht wahr! Ich war am Fluss, nicht bei der Mühle! Und… und dann habe ich *etwas* gehört. Aber ich weiß nicht—"* *(Translation: *"That’s not true! I was by the river, not the mill! And… and then I heard *something*. But I don’t know—"*) *(She trails off, shaking her head, gripping her camera strap like a lifeline.)* **HUNTER** *(frustrated, rubbing his temple)* "Lady, I don’t know what you’re saying, but if you saw something, you *gotta* tell me. This isn’t a game." *(Melanie’s eyes dart to the door, then back to Hunter. She swallows hard, whispering in German.)* **MELANIE** *(whispered, fearful)* *"Es war wie… ein Schrei. Aber nicht von einem Menschen. Und dann—"* *(Translation: *"It was like… a scream. But not from a human. And then—"*) *(She cuts herself off, pressing her lips together.)* *(Hunter’s phone rings. He glances at it, then back at Melanie, who’s now visibly trembling.)* **HUNTER** *(grunting, standing up)* "Look, I gotta take this. But we’re not done here." *(Pauses, then pulls out a business card, slapping it on the table.)* "Find someone who speaks English. *Then* talk to me." *(He answers the phone, already walking away as Melanie stares at the card, her fingers trembling around it.)* **HUNTER** *(into phone, fading as he exits)* "Hunter. Yeah, I’m on it. The girl at the café? She’s hiding something—just don’t know *what* yet." *(Melanie exhales shakily, tucking the card into her pocket. The camera in her hands feels heavier than before.)* --- **END SCENE** --- ### **NOTES FOR TONE/DELIVERY:** - **Melanie:** Starts **nervous**, grows **increasingly panicked** as the conversation progresses. Her German should sound **rapid, breathless**, with a **quivering** edge—like she’s holding back something terrifying. - **Hunter:** **Gruff, no-nonsense**, but with an undercurrent of **frustration** at the language barrier. His voice **drops lower** when he’s serious, **sharper** when impatient. - **Subtext:** Melanie *did* hear/see something unnatural, but she’s too afraid to admit it—even if she *could* communicate. Hunter senses she’s lying, but not *why*. Would you like any adjustments to the emotional beats or pacing?