Run: 2026-02-20-01KHY83K0AHV5ZVF27HMVSHEN1

Okay, here's a voice sheet for the scene you requested, aiming for the cozy mystery tone and incorporating the character and location details. I've focused on building a sense of mystery and the communication barrier. I’ve included notes after the voice sheet to detail some of the directorial choices made, and to justify certain phrasing. --- **Scene: Alborn Cafe – Afternoon** **(Setting: A small, wood-paneled cafe in Alborn, MN. The scent of freshly baked apple pie hangs in the air. Melanie, 30, sits at a table near the window, meticulously reviewing photos on her camera. She’s dressed in practical layers, a scarf wrapped around her neck, and her camera bag sits beside her. Hunter, 35, the detective, walks in, scanning the room with a weary but observant gaze. He spots Melanie and approaches her table.)** **Voice Sheet:** Melanie: *(Without looking up from her camera, speaking rapidly and quietly in German, her voice trembling slightly.)* "Es ist… es ist schrecklich. Ich war da. Ich habe es gesehen. Der Nebel… er kam so schnell. Wie eine Wand. Und dann… dann war sie weg. Einfach verschwunden. Wie…wie ein Traum. Nur bitterkalt." Hunter: "Excuse me? I... I don’t understand. Are you speaking English?" *(He pauses, trying to discern if she’s just extremely quiet.)* "I’m Detective Hunter. I'm investigating some disappearances. I’m just asking around, trying to see if anyone saw anything unusual near the orchard this morning." Melanie: *(Looks up, startled, her eyes wide and filled with anxiety. She shakes her head slowly, and speaks again in German, her voice slightly stronger but still laced with fear.)* "Nein. Englisch… ich spreche kein Englisch. Nur Deutsch. Ich… ich bin Melanie. Ich bin Studentin." *(She gestures hesitantly towards her camera)* "Fotografie." Hunter: *(Frowning, he pulls out a small notepad and pen.)* “Okay… photography. Look, I’m really sorry, this is going to be difficult. Do you… do you know anyone who speaks English? Maybe someone at your study abroad program?" Melanie: *(Shakes her head, her fingers nervously adjusting the strap of her camera.)* "Nein. Alle…alle sind weit weg. In der Stadt. Ich war hier, am Morgen. Beim Apfelhof. Ich habe Fotos gemacht. Und dann… dann habe ich sie gesehen. Frau Peterson. Sie… sie stand da, und dann war sie im Nebel." *(She clutches her camera bag tightly.)* "Es war… unnatürlich." Hunter: “Mrs. Peterson… you saw her at the orchard? Before she disappeared? Was she alone? Did you notice anything unusual about her? Anything at all?" *(He tries again to elicit a helpful response, but her lack of English is a frustrating barrier.)* "Look, I understand you're upset. Can you… can you point to something? Show me something you remember seeing?" Melanie: *(Her eyes dart around the cafe nervously, then back to her camera. She pulls up a picture on the screen, showing a dense, unnatural-looking fog rolling through the orchard.)* "Das. Der Nebel. Sehen Sie? So dick. So plötzlich. Und… still. Es war… es gab keinen Wind. Keine Vögel. Nur der Nebel." *(She pushes the camera towards him tentatively, her expression pleading.)* “Es war anders. Sehr anders.” Hunter: *(Looks at the photo. He can tell it's the orchard, but the fog does seem strangely thick and… oppressive. He’s clearly baffled by the language barrier, but also intrigued by her distress.)* “Okay… alright. I… I appreciate you showing me this. It’s... useful. Just, um... I'm going to need to find someone who can translate." **(Hunter’s phone rings. He answers it, stepping away slightly.)** Hunter: "Hunter here. ... Yeah, I'm at the cafe now. ... What? Another one gone? ... I'm on my way." *(He hangs up, his face grim.)* "Look, I really need to go. I’m so sorry I couldn’t understand you properly. Please, if you remember anything else, *anything at all*, find a way to contact the Alborn Sheriff's Department. Tell them you spoke with Detective Hunter." *(He scribbles a phone number on a napkin and hands it to her.)* "Stay safe." *(He gives a curt nod and quickly exits the cafe.)* Melanie: *(Looks at the napkin with the phone number, then back at the photo of the fog on her camera screen. She whispers to herself in German, her voice filled with a renewed sense of anxiety.)* "Was hat er gesagt? Was ist los?" *(She buries her face in her hands.)* --- **Notes on Directorial Choices & Language:** * **Melanie’s German:** I tried to use phrasing that conveyed genuine distress and shock, but wouldn't require a full, complex translation within the scene. The phrases are relatively short ("It's terrible," "I saw it," "The fog...") so the lack of translation works to emphasize her bewilderment and fear. Also, the repetition of phrases like “Einfach verschwunden” (simply disappeared) heightens the sense of the inexplicable. * **Hunter’s Frustration:** His responses are short, clipped and slightly exasperated, reflecting his “no-nonsense” marine background and the added hurdle of a language barrier. I didn't want him to get *angry* about it, just increasingly frustrated. * **The Photo:** The photo is crucial. It’s the only tangible thing Hunter has to go on, and its unsettling nature starts to hint at something more than just a simple disappearance. * **Ambiguous ending:** Melanie’s final line adds to the overall sense of mystery. The audience is left wondering what Hunter said and whether her situation has just become more complicated. This is vital for the cozy mystery genre; leaving the readers/viewer eager for more. The whisper draws the audience closer to her point of view. I hope this voice sheet meets your requirements! Do you want me to adjust anything in particular?