Run: 2026-02-20-01KHYB5KHXWCJ3KTXVFF5351GQ

**Scene: *The Brewed Bean Café, Alborn, MN – Late Afternoon*** --- **Visual Description:** The café is quiet, bathed in golden late-afternoon light filtering through the large windows. Steam rises from half-empty mugs, and the faint scent of cinnamon and coffee lingers in the air. Selvi sits in a corner booth, her fingers tracing the edge of her camera case, her dark eyes distant. The lens cap lies open beside her, the camera’s viewfinder reflecting the dim café lights. Hunter strides in, his leather jacket creaking slightly as he pulls out the chair across from her. He’s in plainclothes—jeans, a worn flannel, and a scuffed pair of boots—but the tension in his shoulders gives him away. He’s been chasing leads all day, and the case is gnawing at him. --- ### **Dialogue (Voice Sheet)** *(Hunter sits, setting a coffee cup down with a quiet *clink*. He studies Selvi for a beat, then speaks—direct, no-nonsense.)* **HUNTER:** "Ma’am. You’re the one who took those photos of the woods near the old Miller farm, right? The ones that went viral?" *(Selvi startles slightly, her fingers tightening around her camera strap. She doesn’t look up immediately. Her voice is soft, accented, trembling as she speaks in rapid Hindi.)* **SELVI:** *"Maine… maine kya dekha tha? Woh… woh log… woh log kahan gaye?"* *(I saw… what happened to those people? Where did they go?)* *(Hunter blinks. His brow furrows. He doesn’t understand a word. He leans in slightly, trying to place the language—Indian, maybe? His instincts kick in.)* **HUNTER:** "Ma’am, I need you to—" *(He cuts himself off, realizing she’s not responding to him.)* "You speak English?" *(Selvi shakes her head slowly, her dark eyes wide with distress. She gestures helplessly at her camera, then at the window, as if trying to explain without words.)* **SELVI:** *"Main… maine us din ek aawaz suni thi. Aur… aur phir…"* *(I heard a voice that day. And then…)* *(She trails off, her voice breaking.)* *(Hunter exhales sharply, rubbing his temple. He’s used to dealing with witnesses who are scared, but not ones who can’t even tell him what they know. He tries again, slower, enunciating carefully.)* **HUNTER:** "Photos. Of the woods. You took pictures. Of… what?" *(Selvi finally meets his gaze. She reaches into her bag, pulling out her camera. She flips through the images, stopping on one—a grainy shot of the tree line, the underbrush too thick, shadows too long. A figure, half-hidden, seems to be running away from the camera. She points at it.)* **SELVI:** *"Yeh. Isne mujhe dekha. Aur phir…"* *(This one saw me. And then…)* *(Hunter leans closer, studying the photo. His jaw tightens. That’s the direction the last two missing persons were last seen heading. He flips his notebook open, flipping to a sketch of the area.)* **HUNTER:** "You saw someone in the woods. Near the old farm. When?" *(Selvi hesitates, then speaks slowly, translating her own words in her head.)* **SELVI:** *"Do din pehle. Subah. Maine socha… maine socha ki yeh… yeh ek prani hai. Ek…"* *(Two days ago. In the morning. I thought… I thought it was an animal. A…)* *(Hunter’s eyes narrow. He’s seen enough to know it wasn’t an animal.)* **HUNTER:** "Was it a man?" *(Selvi shakes her head, then nods uncertainly.)* **SELVI:** *"Nahin. Nahi, ek aur… ek aur cheez. Ek…"* *(No. Not a man. Something else. A…)* *(Hunter’s phone buzzes in his pocket. He glances at it—a text from his partner. His expression darkens.)* **HUNTER:** "Ma’am, I need to go. But—" *(He slides a business card across the table.)* "—you stay here. Don’t leave town. And if you remember anything else—anything at all—you call me. *This* number." *(He taps the card.)* "Understand?" *(Selvi stares at the card, then at him. She nods, but her hands are shaking. Hunter stands, pulling out his wallet and dropping a few bills on the table.)* **HUNTER:** "Stay safe." *(He turns to leave, but pauses at the door, glancing back at her one last time. There’s something in her eyes—fear, but also something else. Like she’s holding back.)* **HUNTER (muttering):** "Damn it." *(He steps outside, pulling out his phone as the café door swings shut behind him.)* --- **End Scene.** --- **Notes for Tone & Delivery:** - **Hunter’s voice:** Gruff, no-nonsense, but with an undercurrent of frustration. He’s used to people cooperating—this is throwing him off. - **Selvi’s voice:** Soft, accented, and trembling. She’s clearly terrified but trying to communicate. Her Hindi is rapid and emotional, with pauses as she searches for the right words. - **Body Language:** Selvi clutches her camera like a lifeline. Hunter’s posture is rigid, his movements controlled, but his eyes betray his urgency. Would you like any adjustments to the tone or pacing? Or perhaps a hint dropped for the next scene?