Run: 2026-02-20-01KHY9GD61Y8AZKCGNAD7Y9F4C

**Voice Sheet: "Cafe Conversation"** **Melanie**: (head up, camera in lap, fingers tracing dented corners of the lens. Voice tight, shaky in German.) *"Das... Das passierte vor drei Tagen. Ein Junge. Er trank Thee hier. Blinzelte. Sagte, er fühlt sich verfolgt. Als er ging... Scherzlicht. Vom Fenster. Ich habe es nicht sehen können. Bis ich hinausging. Er war nicht da."* (Swallows, closes the camera slowly.) *"Hier. In Alborn. So ein Ort. So ein Junge."* **Hunter**: (stops, hat tilted back, boots scuffing the linoleum. Blinks, taken aback, shifts his stance.) *"Pardon? Miss, I—do you speak English? Sorry, didn’t catch that."* (Waits, when she says nothing, tries again, slower, pointing to the camera.) *"You take photos here? That your camera? You seen something? About the boy?"* (Frowns, rubs the back of his neck.) *"I’m Hunter—detective. Folks around here’ve been vanishing. Figured a new face might’ve noticed something. Don’t mean to push."* **Melanie**: (glances at the door, then back, eyes wide. Fumbles in her bag, pulls out a crumpled photo—blurry, taken from a window: a boy in a blue hoodie, head down, a shadowy figure loitering behind a maple tree. She shoves it at him.) *"Hier. Dort. Am Gartenweg. Den gånger. Den schatten. Er war da. Ich weiss es. Ich habe es aufgenommen."* (Voice cracks, tears pricking her eyes.) *"Bitte... helft ihm. Bitte."* **Hunter**: (leans in, squints at the photo. His brow furrows—recognition flickers. Mumbles, "Black hoodie... shadow near the maple... that’s the edge of town," then blinks, shaking his head.) *"Wait—you said ‘helft ihm’? What does that mean? English, please?"* (When she freezes, he softens, gestures to the photo.) *"This photo… relevant? To the boy? To the disappearances?"* **Melanie**: (takes a shuddering breath, wipes her eye. English, halting, but clear.) *"He’s scared. Of the shadow. I think… I think the shadow took him. Like the others."* (Nods at the photo.) *"I didn’t know how to say. Only… ‘help him’."* **Hunter**: (stares at her, then the photo, jaw tight. Pulls out his phone, checks the time, curses under his breath.) *"Damn. That’s the third sighting of a black hoodie this week. Thanks, Melanie. That… that’s a lead."* (Pauses, hesitates.) *"You—you sure you’re okay here? I should walk you back to your dorm."* **Melanie**: (waves a hand, already packing her camera. Voice firmer now.) *"I’m fine. My roommate’s with me. But… you have to find him. Please. Before… before it’s too late."* **Hunter**: (tucks the photo into his pocket, hands her a crumpled card with his cell number.) *"I will. Promise. Call me if you remember anything else—even a license plate, a car color, something. Anything."* (His phone rings—urgent, low. He answers, barks, "Send unit to 4th and Elm—yes, sir," then hangs up, scowling.) *"I gotta go. Shit."* (Pauses at the door, looks back.) *"Stay safe. And… I’ll get this photo developed. See what I can do."* **Melanie**: (smiles faintly, bitter.) *"Danke. Bitte. Bitte seht ihn."* **Hunter**: (blinks, confused again, but nods.) *"I will. Melanie—"* (Turns, strides out, door jangling. Calls over his shoulder.) *"Lock your door! And if you hear anything—call me!"* *Melanie watches him go, then opens her camera, scrolls to a photo taken an hour earlier: the shadowy figure, arm raised, masked.* --- The voice sheet captures their language barrier, Melanie's distress, and Hunter's determination—all against the cozy yet tense backdrop of Alborn, MN.