Run: 2026-02-20-01KHYA33KM38D3PDFYGR39V3NY

**Scene: *The Alborn Café – Late Afternoon*** *The bell above the door jingles as Hunter steps inside, his sharp eyes scanning the dimly lit café. He spots Marie sitting in a corner booth, her fingers tracing the edge of her camera case, her expression distant. A half-finished cup of coffee sits untouched beside her. He approaches, pulling out the chair across from her.* --- ### **VOICE SHEET: DIALOGUE** **Hunter** *(gruff, direct)* "Afternoon. You’re the French student, right? Marie?" *Marie startles slightly, her dark eyes flicking up to him. She doesn’t speak at first, just nods once, her grip tightening on her camera.* **Marie** *(soft, accented, in French)* "...Oui." **Hunter** *(frowning, unaware she’s speaking French)* "Mind if I sit? I’m Detective Hunter. I’m looking into some… unusual activity around town lately. You’ve been here a while—seen anything strange?" *Marie hesitates, her fingers trembling as she clutches her camera. She exhales slowly, then speaks in rapid, shaky French.* **Marie** "...Je… je ne sais pas. Mais hier soir, j’ai vu quelque chose. Quelque chose de terrible." **Hunter** *(leaning in, confused)* "Wait—what was that? You speak English?" *Marie shakes her head, her voice breaking slightly.* **Marie** "...Non. Désolée. Je ne parle pas anglais. Mais…" *(she gestures vaguely)* "...les disparitions. Les gens disent qu’ils disparaissent. Comme… comme si la terre les avale." *Hunter blinks, then realizes she’s speaking French. He straightens, his expression shifting from confusion to professional focus.* **Hunter** "Hold on—you’re saying you saw something related to the disappearances? When?" *Marie swallows hard, her eyes darting to the window before meeting his again.* **Marie** "...Hier. Après le coucher du soleil. J’ai pris des photos près des pommiers—les arbres près de la vieille route. Et puis… j’ai entendu des cris. Comme un animal. Mais ce n’était pas un animal." *Hunter’s jaw tightens. He pulls out a notepad, scribbling quickly.* **Hunter** "You took pictures? Of what?" *Marie reaches into her bag, pulling out her camera. She flips through the images, then hands it to him. He studies the screen—a shadowy figure moving between the trees, distorted, almost unnatural.* **Hunter** *(low, intense)* "Damn. You got a timestamp on this?" *Marie nods, pointing to the corner of the photo. Hunter’s phone buzzes—his partner’s name flashes on the screen. He hesitates, then answers, standing up.* **Hunter** *(into phone, distracted)* "Yeah, I’m still at the café. Hold on—" *(to Marie, in a rush)* "Can you stay? I need to get these photos to the station. You might need to come down tomorrow and give a full statement." *Marie nods, her voice barely above a whisper.* **Marie** "...Oui. Mais…" *(she looks down, her fingers twisting in her lap)* "...je ne veux pas être seule ce soir." *Hunter studies her for a long moment, then nods decisively.* **Hunter** "Alright. I’ll have someone pick you up in the morning. Stay here—don’t go anywhere." *He leaves, the bell jingling behind him as Marie exhales, her camera still clutched in her hands, her reflection in the screen looking more haunted than ever.* --- **End Scene.** *(Note: Hunter would likely arrange for a translator or try to piece together what Marie said through context clues, given the language barrier. The tension and unease in the café linger long after he’s gone.)*