Run: 2026-02-24-01KJ8X7MMQWKYFQEFQ35PFZHE6

# Voice Sheet — "Lost in Translation" ### Setting: A small cafe on Main Street, Alborn, MN. Late morning. --- *[Selvi sits alone at a corner table, scrolling through photos on her camera with trembling hands. Hunter enters, notices her, and approaches.]* Hunter: "Excuse me, ma'am? I'm Detective Hunter Mills with the St. Louis County Sheriff's Office. Mind if I sit down?" Selvi: *[looking up, startled]* "K-kya? Main... main samajh nahi paa rahi. Aap kaun hain?" *(What? I... I don't understand. Who are you?)* Hunter: "I, uh... I'm a detective." *[slowly taps the badge on his belt]* "De-tec-tive. I'm looking into some things happening around town. You were at the apple festival grounds yesterday evening, is that right?" Selvi: *[recognizing the word 'festival,' her eyes widen]* "Festival? Haan... haan, main wahan thi. Mujhe woh jagah bahut ajeeb lagi. Kuch theek nahi tha wahan." *(Festival? Yes... yes, I was there. That place felt very strange to me. Something wasn't right there.)* Hunter: *[squinting, leaning back]* "I'm sorry, I don't... Do you speak English? English?" Selvi: *[shaking her head apologetically]* "English... nahi. Nahi aati. I'm sorry... sorry." *[gestures helplessly]* Hunter: *[sighs, but softens his tone]* "That's okay. That's alright." *[points to the camera]* "Your camera. Camera — can I see? May I look? Photos?" Selvi: *[clutching the camera protectively, then understanding his gesture]* "Camera? Aap photos dekhna chahte hain?" *(Camera? You want to see the photos?)* *[hesitates, then slowly turns the screen toward him]* Hunter: *[leaning in, studying the screen]* "These are from the fairgrounds. That's... that's the north trail, past the orchard." *[points at a detail in the photo]* "Wait — what's that, right there in the background? Can you go back one?" Selvi: *[seeing where he's pointing, her face goes pale]* "Yeh... yeh woh photo hai. Iske baare mein main bahut dari hui hoon. Jab maine yeh photo li, toh mujhe kisi ke chillane ki awaaz aayi. Phir sab kuch shaant ho gaya. Bilkul shaant." *(This... this is that photo. I'm very frightened about it. When I took this photo, I heard someone screaming. Then everything went quiet. Completely quiet.)* Hunter: *[watching her expression, troubled]* "You're scared. I can see that. Something happened out there, didn't it?" Selvi: *[nodding vigorously, eyes glistening]* "Haan! Haan, kuch hua tha! Ek aadmi tha — woh ped ke paas tha, aur phir achanak gayab ho gaya. Bas gayab. Maine apni aankhon se dekha!" *(Yes! Yes, something happened! There was a man — he was near the tree, and then he suddenly vanished. Just vanished. I saw it with my own eyes!)* Hunter: "A man? Are you saying — " *[mimics a person with his fingers, then makes a vanishing gesture]* "Gone? Someone disappeared?" Selvi: *[grabbing his arm urgently]* "Haan! Gayab! Woh bas... chala gaya. Koi awaaz nahi, koi nishaan nahi. Maine bahut photos liye, shayad kuch dikhe usme." *(Yes! Vanished! He just... was gone. No sound, no trace. I took many photos, maybe something shows in them.)* Hunter: *[runs a hand across his jaw]* "I wish to God I could understand you. This feels important. I need to get a translator somehow. Just — stay. Stay, okay? Don't leave town." *[gestures: palms down, stay put]* Selvi: *[quietly, almost to herself]* "Yeh jagah mujhe dar lagati hai. Mujhe ghar jaana hai. Lekin... agar main madad kar sakti hoon, toh main rahungi." *(This place scares me. I want to go home. But... if I can help, I'll stay.)* *[A long pause. Hunter studies the photos again. Selvi wraps both hands around her coffee cup. For a moment, despite the wall of language between them, there is an understanding — something is very wrong in Alborn.]* Hunter: "Listen, I'm going to — " *[Hunter's phone buzzes loudly. He glances at the screen. His expression hardens.]* Hunter: "Mills here." *[listens for several seconds, jaw tightening]* "Where? ... How long ago? ... No, don't touch anything. I'm on my way." *[He stands abruptly, pockets the phone, then turns back to Selvi.]* Hunter: "I have to go. Another one." *[holds up a business card, sets it on the table, taps it twice]* "Call. Call me. Phone." *[mimes holding a phone to his ear]* "And those photos — don't delete anything. Okay? Nothing." *[mimes pressing a button, then waves his hands: no]* Selvi: *[picking up the card, studying it]* "Aap jaa rahe hain? Lekin... theek hai. Main yeh photos sambhaal ke rakhungi. Aap ko zaroorat padegi." *(You're leaving? But... okay. I'll keep these photos safe. You'll need them.)* Hunter: *[pauses at the door, looks back]* "Thank you. I'll find someone who can help us talk. Just... be careful out there." Selvi: *[softly, watching him go]* "Aap bhi apna khayal rakhiye, Detective." *(You take care too, Detective.)* *[The bell above the cafe door jingles as Hunter pushes through it and disappears down the street. Selvi looks back at her camera. She scrolls to the photo from the orchard and stares at the dark shape between the trees. Her hands are still shaking.]* --- *End of scene.*