Run: 2026-02-20-01KHYA31BN4B9CQGPMEW7T2Y6A

Okay, here’s the voice sheet for the scene, aiming for that cozy mystery feel with a touch of initial confusion and burgeoning connection. I’ve focused on conveying Maria’s vulnerability and Hunter’s directness. **SCENE: The Crooked Kettle Cafe – Alborn, MN** **Setting:** Sunlight streams into the Crooked Kettle, a small, slightly worn cafe in the center of Alborn. The smell of cinnamon and apple pie hangs in the air. Maria is seated at a small table by the window, meticulously reviewing photos on her camera, a vintage Leica. Hunter enters, scanning the room with a practiced, slightly weary gaze. --- **VOICE SHEET** **1. HUNTER** (Voice – Gruff, direct, slightly impatient) (Approaching Maria's table) "Excuse me, miss? You seem to be taking a lot of pictures. Everything alright?" **2. MARIA** (Voice – Initially hesitant, then increasingly troubled, entirely in Spanish) (Startled, looks up, clutching her camera) “¡Ay, Dios mío! No... no, no está bien. He visto... cosas extrañas. La noche pasada… al bosque… un silencio… y luego, nada.” (Translation: "Oh my God! No... no, it's not good. I've seen... strange things. Last night... in the woods... a silence... and then, nothing.") She shivers, clearly distressed. **3. HUNTER** (Voice – Confused, a furrow in his brow) “I... I’m sorry? I don’t… I don’t understand a word of Spanish. You said something about… the woods?” He gestures vaguely toward the window. **4. MARIA** (Voice – Desperate, trying to convey through gestures and fragmented English) (Points frantically at her camera, then at the window, then mimics a creeping, silent movement with her hands) “Bosque… desaparecidos. Silencio. El bosque… frío.” (Translation: “Woods... disappearances. Silence. The woods... cold.”) She pulls out a crumpled napkin and begins sketching a rough outline of a darkened forest. **5. HUNTER** (Voice – Lowers his voice, taking a step closer, trying to understand) "Okay, okay. Let’s... let’s slow down. You saw something in the woods. People disappearing? Is that right?" He points to a headline on a newspaper on the counter – “Another Resident Vanishes from Alborn”. **6. MARIA** (Voice – A wail of distress, rapidly switching to fractured English, fueled by panic) “Sí! Sí! They… gone! Yesterday! Old Mr. Henderson! And then… Mrs. Gable! The forest… it takes them!” (Voice cracks) "I saw something... a shadow... moving fast!" **7. HUNTER** (Voice – Now concerned, speaking slowly and deliberately) “A shadow? Can you describe it? Anything at all? Don’t worry about the language, just… tell me what you saw." He pulls out a small notepad and pen. **8. MARIA** (Voice – Still shaken, describes the shadow in highly evocative, almost poetic Spanish, punctuated by broken English) “Negro… como brea. Rápido… como el viento. No ojos… no boca. Solo… vacío.” (Translation: “Black... like tar. Fast... like the wind. No eyes... no mouth. Just... emptiness.”) She closes her eyes, overwhelmed. **9. HUNTER** (Voice – Writes furiously in his notepad, then glances up) “Okay. Okay. Just… breathe. Listen, I'm getting a call. It’s Detective Miller. I have to go. But... thank you for telling me. Seriously.” **10. MARIA** (Voice – Whispers, watching him leave, fear gripping her) “Gracias… The forest… it’s watching.” (Quiet, barely audible) **11. HUNTER** (Voice – Into phone, gruffly) "Miller, it's Hunter. I need you to pull up Henderson’s disappearance again. Something about a witness... a student… in Spanish… This is going to be a long one.” (Hangs up the phone) **12. HUNTER** (Turning back to Maria, a touch of curiosity in his voice) "You said ‘watching’? Don't worry about it, Miss…?" **13. MARIA** (Voice – Shakes her head slightly, returning to her camera) “Maria.” (Quietly) --- **Notes:** * I've aimed for a slow build of suspense and understanding. Hunter’s initial confusion is key to creating intrigue. * Maria’s reliance on visuals and fragmented language adds to her vulnerability and makes the story immediately engaging. * The details about the shadow are deliberately unsettling. * The ending leaves a clear hook, suggesting a potential partnership between the two characters. Would you like me to flesh out any particular section or explore a specific element of this scene further?