Run: 2026-03-25-01KMJ8X93HY1MKX3F7FQB3G7P0

**Voice Sheet – Café Encounter in Alborn, MN** *(Ambience: Soft clinking of cups, distant chatter in English, a coffee machine humming)* **Marie:** *(muttering to herself in French, tense, clutching her camera)* "Qu'est-ce que j'ai vu... Ce n'était pas normal. Personne ne peut disparaître comme ça. J'ai tout photographié... mais pourquoi personne ne me comprend ?" **Hunter:** *(approaching, firm but not unkind)* Miss? Excuse me. You’re new in town, right? I’m Detective Hunter. We’ve had some... unusual things going on. Saw you taking photos near the old orchard. You see anything strange lately? **Marie:** *(startled, looking up)* Vous êtes de la police ? Dieu merci ! J’ai vu quelque chose... près du bois, hier soir. Une lumière... et puis un cri. Mais quand je suis allée voir, il n’y avait personne. Rien. Et maintenant, mon guide... il a disparu aussi ! **Hunter:** *(frowning, trying to follow)* Whoa, slow down. I... uh, don’t understand French. You’re saying someone’s missing? **Marie:** *(frustrated, switching tone, gesturing with her camera)* Je ne parle pas anglais ! Je veux aider, mais... vous ne comprenez pas ! *(points to her photos)* Regardez ! Les traces… la lumière étrange… **Hunter:** *(leaning in, examining the camera’s display, squinting)* Photos, huh? Okay, I can work with that. Let me see… *(points at a blurry light in one image)* This what you’re talking about? **Marie:** *(nods rapidly, relieved he’s trying)* Oui ! Exactement ! Et là… *(swipes to another photo—footprints leading into the trees)* ...les empreintes s’arrêtent ici. Comme s’il s’était volatilisé. **Hunter:** *(muttering under breath)* Damn. Footprints that just... stop? That matches the last missing person’s report. *(to Marie, slowly, enunciating)* Ma’am, if you saw this… you might be in danger. We need to get you somewhere safe. **Marie:** *(pleading, in French)* Je veux juste aider. Je n’ai pas peur. Mais ce silence... ce vide dans les bois... c’est comme si la forêt retenait son souffle. *(Hunter’s phone suddenly rings — loud, urgent. He answers sharply.)* **Hunter:** *(into phone)* Hunter. …What? Another one? Where? …The church parking lot? On my way. *(to Marie, apologetic but urgent)* I gotta go. Stay here. Don’t go near the woods. I’ll come back. Understand? Stay. Here. **Marie:** *(confused, watching him leave)* Mais... qu’est-ce qui se passe ? Attendez ! *(Hunter exits quickly. Marie looks down at her camera, then toward the dark tree line visible through the café window. The hum of the coffee machine fades into silence.)* **[End Scene]**