Run: 2026-02-20-01KHY7V2F1RWMNA7QMAYQZDDNV

**Scene: *The Cozy Corner Café, Alborn, MN – Late Afternoon*** --- ***(The café is quiet, the hum of conversation and clinking cups soft in the background. Melanie sits at a corner table, her camera resting open in front of her, a half-finished cup of tea cooling beside it. She absentmindedly traces the lens with her thumb, her expression distant, her fingers trembling slightly. The late afternoon light filters through the windows, casting long shadows across the wooden tables.)*** ***(Hunter steps into the café, his sharp eyes scanning the room before landing on Melanie. He approaches her table, his expression unreadable but carrying the weight of a man who’s seen too much. He pulls out the chair across from her and sits, his movements deliberate.)*** --- ### **VOICE SHEET: DIALOGUE** #### **Hunter** *(gruff, direct, with a hint of curiosity)* "Excuse me, miss. You’re the one who took those photos of the festival last weekend, right? The ones that got… well, *noticed*?" *(He leans slightly forward, his elbows on the table. His tone is measured, but there’s an edge—he’s used to getting answers, not hesitation.)* --- #### **Melanie** *(startled, her head snapping up. Her German is rapid, accented, her voice tight with unease)* "Ja… ich war dort. Ich habe fotografiert. Aber—" *(She swallows hard, her grip tightening on the camera strap.)* "Es war nicht nur das Fest. Es war… *schrecklich*." *(Her hands shake as she gestures vaguely toward the café windows, as if the memory is too heavy to hold. She glances around nervously, then lowers her voice.)* "Die Leute… sie sind einfach *weg*. Und die Fotos—" *(She hesitates, then reaches into her bag and slides a small print across the table toward Hunter. It’s a grainy, slightly blurred image of the festival crowd—except one figure is missing. A dark shape where someone should be. The edges are uneven, as if something had been *erased* from the frame.)* "Das ist nicht normal. Das war kein Fehler. Ich habe es *gesehen*—" *(She cuts herself off, pressing her lips together. Her breath is shallow.)* --- #### **Hunter** *(frowning, picking up the photo. His eyes narrow as he studies it, then looks back at her. He doesn’t speak German, but he understands *tone*.)* "Miss, I need you to slow down. Start from the beginning. What exactly did you see?" *(He sets the photo down, his voice firm but not unkind. He pulls out a small notebook and a pen, ready to take notes.)* --- #### **Melanie** *(exhales shakily, then nods. She speaks more slowly now, her words carefully chosen.)* "Gut. Ich war am Samstag beim Apfel-Fest. Ich habe viele Bilder gemacht—die Menschen, die Stände, die Musik. Aber dann…" *(She shudders.)* "Ich habe eine Frau gesehen. Sie stand dort, bei den Apfelkuchen. Sie lächelte, redete mit einer Freundin. Und dann—*plötzlich*—war sie *weg*. Nicht gelaufen. Nicht verschwunden. Als hätte jemand…" *(She gestures with her hands, mimicking something being *pulled* away.)* "Wie ein Schatten. Und dann habe ich noch mehr gesehen." *(She hesitates, then reaches into her bag again, pulling out another photo. This one is clearer—a group of people laughing near the Ferris wheel. But one figure is *cropped out*, their body cut off at the waist, as if the camera had been moved—or something had been *removed* from the shot.)* "Das ist nicht möglich. Ich habe nicht gelogen. Ich habe *nicht* getrunken. Ich habe *genau* hingesehen." *(Her voice cracks slightly. She looks at Hunter, her eyes wide, searching for understanding.)* --- #### **Hunter** *(studying the photos, his expression darkening. He flips to a new page in his notebook.)* "Miss, how many people have you seen… disappear like this?" *(He doesn’t say "vanish" or "go missing"—he knows how that sounds. He’s looking for facts.)* --- #### **Melanie** *(bitter laugh, shaking her head)* "Nicht nur *eine*. Drei. Vielleicht vier. Ich habe es anderen erzählt—die Kellnerin im Café, der Mann mit dem Hund—but sie haben nur gelacht. Sie haben gesagt, ich bin *verrückt*. Aber ich bin es nicht! Ich bin Fotografin! Ich sehe die *Wahrheit*!" *(She slams her palm on the table, then immediately winces, as if she’s startled herself. She takes a deep breath, trying to steady her voice.)* "Ich dachte, vielleicht… vielleicht war es ein Trick. Ein Spiel. Aber dann—" *(She lowers her voice, leaning in.)* "Gestern Nacht. Ich habe Geräusche gehört. *Draußen*. Wie… wie *Ziehen*. Als würde jemand etwas durch die Luft *reißen*." *(She falls silent, her face pale.)* --- #### **Hunter** *(pauses, then looks up sharply. His instincts are screaming at him now.)* "Where were you when you heard that?" *(His pen is poised over the notebook, ready to write.)* --- #### **Melanie** *(whispers)* "Hier. Im Café. Aber ich bin *weggegangen*. Ich bin *gerannt*. Und dann—" *(She swallows hard.)* "Dann habe ich gesehen, wie eine Frau *in den Wald* gezogen wurde. Nicht ging. *Zogen*. Wie ein… wie ein *Schatten mit Händen*." *(She presses her fingers to her temples, as if the memory is too much.)* --- #### **Hunter** *(his jaw tightens. He glances at his watch, then pulls out his phone. A call comes in—his partner’s ringtone. He answers, but keeps one eye on Melanie.)* "Yeah, I’ve got something. A witness. German-speaking. Says she saw people *vanish* at the festival. Not just disappear—*pulled*." *(He listens for a moment, then nods.)* "Yeah, I’ll bring her in. But she’s shaken up. Get someone to meet us at the station. And check the festival footage—see if there’s anything *off*." *(He hangs up, then looks back at Melanie. His voice is softer now, but no less commanding.)* "Miss, I need you to come with me. You’re going to tell me *everything* you remember. And then we’re going to figure this out." *(He stands, holding out a hand. She stares at it for a long moment before slowly placing her own in his. His grip is firm, reassuring. For the first time since he sat down, she doesn’t look away.)* --- ***(Hunter leads her out of the café, the weight of the unsaid hanging between them. The autumn wind rustles the leaves outside, and somewhere in the distance, a dog barks. The town of Alborn feels smaller now. More dangerous.)*** --- **END SCENE.**