Run: 2026-02-20-01KHY9S1SWK466F062E6CKKWN1

**Voice Sheet: Scene – The Café Encounter** --- **Setting:** *A cozy, sunlit café in Alborn, MN. The scent of coffee and cinnamon fills the air. Maria sits at a small table, her camera open beside her, her fingers tracing the lens. She looks exhausted, her dark hair slightly disheveled. Hunter, in his rumpled detective’s jacket, leans against the table, arms crossed, studying her with a frown.* --- ### **Dialogue:** **Hunter:** *(in English, blunt and direct)* "Maria?" *(She jumps slightly, her hand flying to her chest. She looks up, startled, then back at her camera. She doesn’t respond, just exhales shakily.)* **Maria:** *(in Spanish, voice trembling)* "¿Quién es usted? ¿Qué quiere?" *(Who are you? What do you want?)* **Hunter:** *(frowning, trying to parse her words)* "Uh… I’m Detective Hunter. I’m looking into some things that happened here in town. You’re the one with the camera, right?" *(She blinks rapidly, her grip tightening on her camera. She looks around nervously, then back at him.)* **Maria:** *(whispering, urgent)* "Sí… pero no sé nada. No sé inglés." *(Yes… but I don’t know anything. I don’t speak English.)* **Hunter:** *(frustrated, rubbing his temples)* "Right. Right. Look, I don’t have time for this. I need to ask you about something that happened last night. You were out late, right? Near the old apple orchard?" *(She flinches. Her eyes widen slightly, then she looks down at her camera, her fingers trembling.)* **Maria:** *(softly, almost to herself)* "No… no fue allí. Fue en el bosque. El bosque cerca del río." *(No… it wasn’t there. It was in the forest. The forest near the river.)* **Hunter:** *(leaning in, voice sharp)* "What are you talking about? What happened?" *(She swallows hard, her voice barely above a whisper.)* **Maria:** *(hushed, terrified)* "Vi… vi a una mujer. Llevaba un vestido blanco. Estaba… estaba corriendo. Corría hacia el agua. Y luego… luego no estaba más." *(I saw… I saw a woman. She was wearing a white dress. She was… running. Running toward the water. And then… she was gone.)* **Hunter:** *(staring at her, confused)* "What the hell are you talking about? A woman in a white dress? Where?" *(She shakes her head, her eyes glistening.)* **Maria:** *(desperate)* "El bosque. Junto al río. Anoche. Anoche a las once." *(The forest. Near the river. Last night. At eleven o’clock.)* **Hunter:** *(running a hand through his hair, exasperated)* "Maria, I don’t know what’s going on here, but you need to be more clear. Did you see a crime? Did you see someone disappear?" *(She nods slowly, her voice breaking.)* **Maria:** *(whispering)* "Sí. Sí, desapareció. Y… y no estaba sola." *(Yes. She disappeared. And… she wasn’t alone.)* **Hunter:** *(raising an eyebrow)* "What do you mean, she wasn’t alone?" *(She hesitates, then looks up at him, her eyes filled with fear.)* **Maria:** *(in a rush)* "Vi… vi sombras. Muchas sombras. Corriendo con ella. Como si la persiguieran." *(I saw… shadows. Many shadows. Running with her. Like they were chasing her.)* *(Hunter stares at her for a long moment, his expression shifting from confusion to concern. He pulls out his phone, checking the time.)* **Hunter:** *(muttering, to himself)* "Shit. This is bad." *(He looks back at her, softer now.)* **Hunter:** *(in English, slower)* "Maria, I need you to stay here. I’m going to call someone who can help you. You’re safe, okay? Just stay here." *(She nods, her hands still trembling around her camera.)* **Maria:** *(in Spanish, grateful)* "Gracias. Por favor, no me deje aquí sola." *(Thank you. Please, don’t leave me here alone.)* **Hunter:** *(firm but kind)* "No. I won’t. But you need to trust me. I’m going to get someone who speaks Spanish to talk to you." *(He stands up, pulling out his phone to make a call. He glances back at her one last time.)* **Hunter:** *(to himself, as he dials)* "Just… don’t move." *(Maria watches him go, her breath shaky, her camera still clutched tightly in her hands.)* --- **End Scene.** --- **Notes for Tone & Delivery:** - **Hunter’s voice:** Gruff, direct, but with an underlying urgency. His frustration with the language barrier is clear, but he pushes through to protect her. - **Maria’s voice:** Soft, trembling, and laced with fear. She speaks quickly when nervous, her words stumbling over each other. - **Silence:** Use pauses to emphasize her fear and his confusion. The tension should be palpable.