Run: 2026-02-20-01KHYA15CSMQBWCDYGNBWGHEJ6

**Scene: *The Alborn Coffee Nook – Late Afternoon*** *The small-town café hums with quiet chatter, the scent of cinnamon and caramelized sugar lingering in the air. Melanie sits in a corner booth, her fingers tracing the edge of her camera case, her expression distant. The lens cap lies open beside her, revealing the intricate details of her camera—a sleek, professional model. She hasn’t touched it in minutes.* *Hunter strides in, his sharp eyes scanning the room before landing on her. He approaches, pulling out the chair across from her without asking. His posture is deliberate, his expression unreadable—part curiosity, part suspicion. He doesn’t smile.* --- ### **VOICE SHEET: DIALOGUE** *(Hunter leans forward slightly, resting his forearms on the table. His voice is low, measured.)* **HUNTER** *(glancing at her camera, then back at her)* "Ma’am, I’m Detective Hunter. I’m looking into some recent disappearances in Alborn. You were at the festival yesterday, weren’t you?" *(Melanie startles slightly at the abrupt question. Her fingers tighten around the camera strap. She doesn’t look up immediately, her gaze fixed on the grainy wood of the table. When she speaks, her German is rapid, accented, and laced with emotion—her voice trembling.)* **MELANIE** *(in German, voice shaking)* "Ja. Ich war dort. Ich habe alles gesehen—*alles*—und jetzt…" *(she swallows hard, her hands clenching)* "Jetzt ist es weg. Alles ist weg." *(Hunter blinks. His brow furrows. He doesn’t understand a word, but the distress in her tone is unmistakable. He leans back slightly, studying her face.)* **HUNTER** *(slowly, carefully)* "Ma’am, I don’t speak German. Can you—" *(Melanie cuts him off, her voice rising slightly, desperate.)* **MELANIE** *(gesturing wildly toward the café windows, where the faint outline of the festival grounds can still be seen in the distance)* "Die Menschen! Die *Lichter*! Gestern Abend—" *(she presses her palms to her temples, as if trying to clear her thoughts)* "Die Musik. Die Lachen. Und dann—*poof*—wie ein Traum, der verschwindet. Wo sind sie? Was ist passiert?" *(Hunter exhales sharply, rubbing the back of his neck. He’s used to frustrated witnesses, but this is different. The fear in her eyes is real. He pulls out his phone, taps the screen a few times, then holds it up to his ear. A beat of silence.)* **HUNTER** *(into the phone, gruff)* "Yeah, it’s me. I’ve got a witness who might know something about the festival disappearances. She doesn’t speak English, but she’s seen something. I’ll bring her in—" *(he pauses, listening, then nods)* "Yeah. Ten minutes." *(He hangs up, shoves the phone back in his pocket. Melanie watches him, her expression shifting from panic to wariness.)* **HUNTER** *(standing abruptly, offering her a hand)* "Come with me. We need to talk to someone who can help translate. And you—" *(he lowers his voice, serious)* "—you need to tell me *exactly* what you saw." *(Melanie hesitates, then slowly places her hand in his. His grip is firm, reassuring. She lets him pull her up, her camera dangling from her shoulder like a silent witness.)* *(As they turn toward the door, Hunter glances back at her once, his jaw set.)* **HUNTER** "Whatever you saw, it’s not safe to keep it to yourself." *(The café’s bell jingles as they step outside, the autumn wind carrying the faintest hint of apple cider and distant laughter—laughter that doesn’t quite match the weight of the moment.)* --- **END SCENE.** *(Note: The German phrases Melanie uses roughly translate to:* - *"Ja. Ich war dort. Ich habe alles gesehen—alles—and jetzt…"* → *"Yes. I was there. I saw everything—everything—and now…"* - *"Die Menschen! Die Lichter! Gestern Abend—"* → *"The people! The lights! Last night—"* - *"Wo sind sie? Was ist passiert?"* → *"Where are they? What happened?"*)* *This sets up intrigue, language barriers, and the urgency of the investigation while keeping Melanie’s vulnerability and Hunter’s no-nonsense approach intact.*