Run: 2026-02-20-01KHYAQD7FGC6VG1BBD3PW83Q8

## Voice Sheet: Scene - Alborn Cafe **Setting:** A cozy, slightly worn cafe in Alborn, Minnesota. Mid-morning. The smell of coffee and apple pie hangs in the air. **Characters:** Melanie (German-speaking student), Hunter (Detective) --- **Melanie:** (Quietly, fiddling with her camera, scrolling through photos. A tremor in her voice, almost a whisper.) ...Oh mein Gott... Nein... Das darf nicht wahr sein. ( *Oh my God… No… This can’t be true.*) **Hunter:** (Approaching the table, badge subtly visible. He’s a man of few words, and his tone is direct.) Excuse me, ma’am. You been here long? I’m Detective Hunter. I was hoping to ask a few questions about the festival last night. **Melanie:** (Looks up, startled. Her eyes are wide and filled with worry. She responds quickly, a rush of German.) Was ist denn los? Ich war ja gestern Abend beim Apfelfest! Ich habe Fotos gemacht... Aber dann… alles so komisch war! ( *What's going on? I was at the apple festival yesterday! I took pictures… But then… everything was so strange!*) **Hunter:** (Frowning slightly. He clearly doesn’t understand a word.) Uh… I’m sorry? I don’t… I didn’t catch that. English, please? **Melanie:** (Frustrated, repeating slowly, louder, but still in German.) Englisch? Ich... Ich spreche kein Englisch. Ich bin aus Deutschland. Ich studiere hier. ( *English? I… I don't speak English. I'm from Germany. I'm studying here.*) **Hunter:** (Rubbing his chin, a growing annoyance creeping into his voice. He’s used to getting straight answers.) Germany, huh? Look, lady, I'm trying to investigate a serious situation. People are… disappearing. And you were at the festival. Did you *see* anything unusual? **Melanie:** (Shaking her head, overwhelmed. She clutches her camera tighter.) Verschwunden...? Ich habe gesehen... Ein Mann... Er war mit einem kleinen Mädchen... Sie waren glücklich, lachten... Und dann... waren sie einfach weg! ( *Disappeared...? I saw… A man… He was with a little girl… They were happy, laughing… And then… they were just gone!*) **Hunter:** (Leaning forward, trying to decipher *something* from her tone and frantic gestures.) Gone? Like… left the festival? Or… gone *gone*? **Melanie:** (Gesturing with her hands, mimicking someone vanishing into thin air.) Einfach weg! Pust! Wie weggeblasen! Es war... unheimlich! ( *Just gone! Poof! Like blown away! It was… eerie!*) **Hunter:** (Definitely lost. He’s a pragmatist, used to concrete details. This is getting him nowhere.) Unheimlich… Okay. Look, this is… difficult. (He pulls out his phone.) I need to find someone who can translate. Just… hold on a second. **(Hunter's phone rings. He glances at the caller ID.)** **Hunter:** (Into the phone, curtly.) Hunter. Yeah? …Right now? …Okay, send them over. (To Melanie, apologetically.) Sorry, gotta take this. Something just came up. We’ll… we’ll figure out a way to talk. (He starts to walk away, speaking into his phone.) Yeah, the bakery, right. And you said…? --- **Note for Actors:** * **Melanie:** Must convey genuine distress and fear through her tone and body language, even though the words are incomprehensible to Hunter. The intensity of her German should escalate as she tries to communicate the urgency of what she saw. * **Hunter:** Should start with direct, no-nonsense detective energy. His frustration should build as he realizes the language barrier. He’s a practical man, and this situation is hindering his investigation.