Run: 2026-03-25-01KMJ8YQF19SBJAFKVK545GZH8

**Voice Sheet: Maria and Hunter at the Café** *Setting: A quiet corner café in Alborn, MN. Late autumn morning. The air is crisp, leaves swirl outside the window. Maria sits at a small table near the window, reviewing photos on her camera. She looks pale, her hands slightly trembling. Hunter enters, dressed in a worn trench coat, scanning the room. He approaches her with a notepad in hand.* --- **Hunter:** (calm, direct) Excuse me, miss. Mind if I sit down? I’m with the Sheriff’s Department. **Maria:** (startled, looks up) ¿Qué? ¿Quién es usted? No entiendo… ¿Por qué me habla? **Hunter:** (frowning slightly, not understanding) Sorry, I don’t speak Spanish. You’re Maria, right? From the college? I just need a few minutes of your time about the festival last weekend. **Maria:** (shaking her head, voice rising with anxiety) ¡No sé nada! Yo solo tomé fotos… fotos del pueblo… pero ese hombre… en el bosque… ¡no era normal! ¡Sus ojos! ¡Dios mío, sus ojos! **Hunter:** (leaning forward, trying to catch meaning) Whoa, slow down. I don’t understand you. Can you speak English? Just a little? **Maria:** (frustrated, gesturing with her camera) ¡No! ¡No hablo inglés! ¡Español! Yo vi algo… algo malo… cerca del río, después del festival… ¡un hombre sin cara… o casi! ¡No era humano! **Hunter:** (sighs, rubbing his temple) Alright, alright… you saw something? Near the river? (points toward the window, miming) River? After festival? **Maria:** (nods frantically, pulls up a photo on her camera, shows it to him) ¡Aquí! ¡Mira! Entre los árboles… ¿ves esa sombra? ¡Estaba allí! ¡No era una persona normal! **Hunter:** (squints at the photo – a blurry figure near treeline at dusk) Huh… that’s… that’s not right. (muttering) Could be a trick of the light. But still… (looks at her) Did you tell anyone else? **Maria:** (shaking head, eyes wide) No… nadie me entiende. Y ahora… ahora tengo miedo. No quiero estar sola. **Hunter:** (softer now, trying to reassure) You’re safe. I believe you saw *something*. Doesn’t matter if we don’t speak the same language—your fear’s real enough. *(His phone rings sharply. He hesitates, then answers.)* **Hunter:** (into phone) Hunter. …What? Where? …On my way. *(Hangs up, stands.)* **Hunter:** Gotta go. But I’ll be back. Stay in town. If you remember anything else—anything—go to the sheriff’s office. They’ll call me. **Maria:** (pleading, in Spanish) Por favor… no me deje sola otra vez… **Hunter:** (pauses, looks at her, torn) I’ll send someone. You’ll be okay. *(He exits quickly. Maria clutches her camera, staring after him, then back at the photo on the screen.)* --- *[End Scene]*