Run: 2026-02-20-01KHY974TZCHZV1F7S9BKRBQV2

**Scene: *The Quiet Corner Café – Alborn, MN*** *The late afternoon sun filters through the café’s large windows, casting golden streaks across the polished wooden tables. Marie sits alone in a corner booth, her fingers tracing the edge of her camera case. The lens cap is off, the camera resting idle in her lap. Her dark eyes are distant, lost in thought—or maybe in memory. The hum of quiet conversation and the occasional clink of china fills the air, but Marie seems untouched by it.* *Then, the café door chimes. Hunter steps inside, his broad frame filling the doorway. He scans the room, his sharp gaze landing on Marie. He approaches, his expression unreadable but carrying the weight of a man who’s seen too much.* --- ### **VOICE SHEET: DIALOGUE** *(Hunter stops at her table, hands in his pockets. He pulls out the chair across from her, but doesn’t sit immediately. His voice is low, measured—used to command, not conversation.)* **Hunter:** *(glancing at her camera, then back at her face)* "Ma’am. You’re the one who took those photos of the woods near the old mill, right? The ones that got posted online?" *(Marie startles slightly, her fingers tightening around the camera strap. She looks up at him, her expression guarded. She doesn’t speak English, but her body language says she understands. She nods once, slowly.)* **Marie:** *(in rapid, accented French, voice trembling slightly)* "...Oui. Je les ai prises. Mais je ne comprends pas—pourquoi tout le monde en parle comme ça? C’était juste… des arbres. Des ombres. Rien de spécial." *(She gestures vaguely at the camera, then at the window, as if trying to explain the innocence of what she saw. Hunter frowns, rubbing the back of his neck. He doesn’t know French, but he recognizes the distress in her tone.)* **Hunter:** *(leaning forward slightly, voice softer now)* "Ma’am, I need you to tell me what you saw that day. Exactly what you saw." *(Marie hesitates, then exhales sharply, as if steeling herself. She reaches for her camera, flips it open, and starts scrolling through the photos. Her hands shake as she points to one—a grainy image of the tree line, where the light seems to bend unnaturally, casting long, distorted shadows.)* **Marie:** *(urgent, pointing)* "Regardez. *Là.* Les branches… elles ne bougent pas comme elles devraient. Et cette lumière—elle n’est pas normale. Comme si quelque chose… *attendait* dans l’ombre." *(Hunter’s jaw tightens. He doesn’t understand the words, but he sees the fear in her eyes, the way her voice cracks on the last syllable. He pulls out his notepad, scribbling a few notes before looking up.)* **Hunter:** "You saw something move in those trees. Something that wasn’t… natural?" *(Marie nods vigorously, her dark eyes wide.)* **Marie:** "Oui! Et puis—*les cris.* Je les ai entendus après. Comme des gens qui appelaient à l’aide, mais… étouffés. Comme si on leur tenait la bouche." *(Hunter’s pen stills. His instincts prickle. He’s heard enough. He pulls out his phone, checks the screen, and his expression darkens.)* **Hunter:** *(standing abruptly)* "Ma’am, I need you to come down to the station with me. Now." *(Marie recoils slightly, her voice rising in alarm.)* **Marie:** "Non! Je ne peux pas—je dois retourner à l’université! Ils vont s’inquiéter!" **Hunter:** *(firm, but not unkind)* "They’ll understand. This isn’t just about the photos. Someone’s gone missing near that mill. And you’re the only one who’s seen *something* out there." *(A beat of silence. Marie’s fear wars with her curiosity, her instinct to help. Finally, she nods, though her hands are still trembling as she gathers her things.)* *(Just as Hunter starts to guide her toward the door, his phone buzzes. He glances at the screen, his expression shutting down instantly. He answers, his voice clipped.)* **Hunter:** *(into the phone, already walking away)* "Yeah. Send it over. And get a unit out to the mill—*now.*" *(He hangs up, then turns back to Marie, his usual no-nonsense demeanor slipping slightly. He looks… tired.)* **Hunter:** "Change of plans. You’re gonna have to wait here. I’ve got to go." *(Marie watches him go, her mind racing. She doesn’t understand the words, but she understands the urgency in his voice. She clutches her camera tighter, her earlier fear now laced with something new—determination.)* *(Hunter pauses at the café door, glancing back at her one last time before stepping into the crisp Minnesota air, his mind already elsewhere.)* --- **END SCENE.** *(Note: The tension here is subtle but palpable—Marie’s fear, Hunter’s professional urgency, and the unspoken threat lurking in the woods. The language barrier adds a layer of mystery, making Marie’s testimony even more critical. Would you like any adjustments to the tone or pacing?)*